How Does the Nature of Reactance Mediate the Social Norms Campaign Effects?

• In Event: Scholar to Scholar VII

Abstract

The strategy of social norms campaigns to correct misperceived norms has been controversial in reducing college student (binge) drinking. This study asserts that social norms marketing messages would have small effects on changing college students’ binge drinking behavior due to the mediating variable of psychological reactance.
The findings show that the mediating psychological reactance variable is directly related to attitude and behavioral intentions respectively, with a stronger direct effect upon behavioral intentions.

Authors

• Taejin Jung, State University of New York, Oswego

• Woomi Shim, Florida State University