When combining injunctive and descriptive norms strengthens the hypocrisy effect: A test in the field of discrimination

Maxime Mauduy (1, 2) , Daniel Priolo (3) , Nicolas Margas (2) , Cécile Sénémeaud (1)

1 LPCN - Laboratoire de psychologie de Caen Normandie
2 UNIL - Université de Lausanne = University of Lausanne
3 EPSYLON - Dynamique des capacités humaines et des conduites de santé

The induced-hypocrisy is a paradigm in which people promote a normative behavior (normative salience step) and then recall their past transgressions (transgression salience step). It is an effective two-step procedure for encouraging prosocial behaviors. This study aims to explore whether discrimination can be reduced using the hypocrisy paradigm combining two kinds of social norms, namely injunctive and descriptive norms. We assigned 80 participants to descriptive norm-related hypocrisy, injunctive norm-related hypocrisy, combined-norm hypocrisy, and control conditions. Results showed that intention to adopt active normative behaviors was higher in the combined-norms than in the single norm hypocrisy conditions. We observed the same pattern in reducing discriminatory behaviors in the Cyberball game, which measures passive discrimination (exclusion). Our findings have both practical and theoretical implications. First, they provide a new and effective means for producing behavioral changes in the field of discrimination. Second, they contribute to further investigating the explanatory processes underlying the hypocrisy effect.

Mots clés: induced-hypocrisy paradigm; injunctive norm; descriptive norm; discrimination prevention; Cyberball game

Domaines: Psychologie; Psychologie; Psychologie et comportements

Maxime Mauduy, Daniel Priolo, Nicolas Margas, Cécile Sénémeaud. When combining injunctive and descriptive norms strengthens the hypocrisy effect: A test in the field of discrimination. Frontiers in Psychology, 2022, 13, ⟨10.3389/fpsyg.2022.989599⟩. ⟨hal-03880483⟩