Social Norming
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Social Norm: The theory that students will conform to what they believe to be the norm.
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Social norms include cultural traditions, community standards, social customs, shared beliefs, and typical behaviors. They include both attitudes and behaviors. Many social norms are prosocial and health-positive.
Our perceptions of social norms, whether correct or incorrect, influece many facets of our behavior. For instance, if we perceive that most people care about friends, we are more likely to treat friends in a caring way. If we preceive that most people drink a lot at parties, we are more likely to do the same.
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| The fact is wellness is the norm: most people are healthy, positive and caring. But illness, trouble and not caring are often perceived as norms.The social norms approach helps us understand seemingly irrational health behavior. It also offers a way to promote positive, healthy behavior. It asks about the reality of what people do and believe, often through survey research, and contrasts this reality with preceptions. The social norms approach is science-based and data-driven. |
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