The Social Norms Approach: Theory, Research and Annotated Bibliography

The social norms approach provides a theory of human behavior that has important implications for health promotion and prevention. It states that our behavior is influenced by incorrect perceptions of how other members of our social groups think and act. This review summarizes evidence in support of the social norms approach. It includes individual studies and one meta-analysis (Borsari & Carey, 2003) that document the importance of social norms and peers in influencing behavior, including research documenting the existence of misperceptions, their efficacy in predicting behavior, successful interventions targeting individuals, groups and communities, a brief discussion of unsuccessful efforts and evaluation issues, and examples of applications to other health and social justice issues. It concludes with an annotated bibliography of important resources and an extensive bibliography.

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