Descriptive Social Norms

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The NPS main issue with its communications is the disagreement between the two types of social norms: injunctive and descriptive. According to the text, the numerous of visitors that come to the Yellowstone National Park every year, receive “information and education through multiple means.” By receiving this information, whether via websites or pamphlets, the visitors are receiving an injunctive norm. Nevertheless, in many of the examples cited in the text, in spite of the increase in the amount of signs overtime, the number of visitors and accidents are also increasing. Meaning that the visitors are ignoring these danger informations and signs, which can be interpreted as a descriptive norm. In one less severe example, “ a small boy broke …show more content…

In their truck, rangers found the “park’s warning literature and pamphlets, [which the men] had not read any of them” showing that they were unaware of the dangers. a) Mere presence effect is experienced when a person perform an easy task comparatively better in the presence of another person rather than by itself. However, if the task is a difficult one, by being in the presence of another individual the subject performing the task tend to perform worse than if he was alone. Example is an experiment performed by Zajonc & Sales in 1966 where they had the participants practice either pronounce nonsense words one time or many times. Results showed that the subjects that had pronounced more times the words (dominant) had higher chances to report flashed on the screen while in the presence of an audience rather than alone. …show more content…

The results showed that 20% of the people who received the cards reciprocated. Therefore, visitors would reciprocate the “discount coupon” by completing the survey and indirectly read the materials given by the rangers and being more aware of the dangers and rules. In addition, by using this reciprocation, we can help to align the injunctive and descriptive norms and therefore have a positive impact as suggested by Cialdini et al. in 1990 in the parking garage

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