Propaganda and Social Influence

The Power of Propaganda

• Propaganda is a set of techniques used to manipulate people's beliefs or actions.
• Conformity involves changing thoughts, feelings, or behaviors to match those of a group.
• Propaganda can be used to persuade people to adopt attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.
• Marcos used propaganda to portray martial law as necessary for restoring order and security in the Philippines.
• Nazi propaganda controlled all aspects of German life to promote Nazi ideology and conformity.
• Nazis created a sense of fear and isolation to encourage conformity to Nazi norms.
• Nazis promoted a sense of national unity to create a shared identity and encourage conformity.
• Children in Hitler Youth groups were encouraged to report disloyal parents to the Gestapo.
• Rejection, ostracism, and even death motivated Germans to conform to Nazi propaganda.

Using Social Influence to Promote Beneficial Behavior

• Robert Cialdini, Raymond Reno, and Carl Kallgren developed a model of normative conduct.
• Social norms can be used to induce people to conform to socially approved behavior.
• Informational and normative conformity can promote positive actions, like reducing litter.
• The approach depends on if the norm is injunctive or descriptive.
• Injunctive norms are based on what people perceive as approved or disapproved behavior.
• Injunctive norms motivate individuals through rewards for adherence and punishments for violations.
• Littering is generally disapproved of, while donating blood is widely regarded as commendable.
• Descriptive norms reflect how people actually behave in a situation, regardless of approval.
• Descriptive norms provide insight into effective or adaptive behaviors.
• Littering is frowned upon but common at events; voter participation is lower than expected.
• An injunctive norm relates to what most people approve or disapprove of.
• Descriptive norm relates to what people actually do.
• To effectively use social influence, determine which type of norm is most relevant.
• Public campaigns can emphasize injunctive and descriptive norms to reinforce anti-littering behavior.
• Social norms have a profound impact on individual and collective behavior.
• Understanding the differences between injunctive and descriptive norms can promote positive behaviors.

The Role of Injunctive and Descriptive Norms

• Robert Cialdini, Raymond Reno, and Carl Kallgren explored how injunctive and descriptive norms affect behaviors like littering.
• Researchers observed how injunctive and descriptive norms influenced littering behavior in a parking lot experiment.
• Control condition: The confederate simply walked by.
• Descriptive norm condition: The confederate dropped a fast-food bag to signal littering is common.
• Injunctive norm condition: The confederate picked up litter to signal littering is unacceptable.
• Conditions were tested in clean and littered environments.
• About one-third of the control group littered, regardless of cleanliness.
• In a littered environment, participants seeing the confederate litter were more likely to litter.
• In a clean environment, the confederate littering made littering stand out.
• Participants who saw the confederate pick up litter were the least likely to litter.
• Injunctive norms have a stronger effect in reducing undesirable behaviors like littering.
• Injunctive norms are more effective in promoting desirable behaviors.
• Highlighting injunctive norms encourages socially beneficial behaviors.
• Public service announcements emphasize the approval of responsible behavior.
• Community clean-up initiatives make responsible actions more visible.
• Signage reinforces responsible behavior.
• Injunctive norms cultivate positive behavioral change and collective responsibility.
• Injunctive norms are more effective in promoting socially beneficial actions.

Key Conclusions

• Injunctive norms are more effective than descriptive norms.
• Descriptive norms can be unpredictable.
• Norms need to be made salient to influence behavior effectively.
• Personal connections strengthen norm influence.
• Strategic messaging in public campaigns is important.
• Focus on injunctive norms when reducing undesirable behaviors.
• Community efforts should publicly recognize positive actions.
• Policymakers and organizations should leverage injunctive norms in designing interventions.

Using Norms to Change Behavior: Beware the "Boomerang Effect"

• Efforts to change others' behavior must consider the different types of people receiving the message.
• Those performing the undesirable behavior at an above-average level.
• Those performing the undesirable behavior at a below-average level.

Case Study: Alcohol Consumption on College Campuses

• Students overestimate how much alcohol their peers consume.
• Universities used norm-based messaging, informing students of the average alcohol consumption on campus.
• Heavier drinkers reduce their intake to match the lower norm.
• Students who drank less than average drink more to fit in.
• The intervention increased alcohol consumption in low-drinking individuals.

Case Study: Energy Conservation and the Boomerang Effect

• A study examined how norm-based feedback influenced energy conservation.
• Above-average energy users consumed more energy than the neighborhood average.
• Below-average energy users were already conserving energy.
• Participants were told their energy usage and how it compared to the neighborhood average.
• Participants received the same information, but with a smiley or sad face.
• High-energy users decreased their consumption when messaged about their energy usage.
• Low-energy users increased their energy consumption.
• High-energy users decreased their consumption when seeing a sad face.
• Low-energy users maintained their conservation habits with the smiley face.
• Utility companies incorporate injunctive norm feedback to promote energy-saving behaviors.
• Descriptive norms can lead others to adopt worse behaviors or more positive ones.
• Incorporating injunctive norms reinforces positive behavior and prevents backsliding.
• Design effective strategies to drive meaningful and lasting behavior change.
• Answer to the Multiple Choice Question*
• D) It consistently decreased littering in both clean and littered environments.