{"title":"Social Responsibility Appeal and Cross-Lagged Effects of Perceived Norms on Mask-Wearing Behavior During the COVID-19 Pandemic.","authors":"Hye Kyung Kim, Hui Min Lee, Edson C Tandoc","doi":"10.1080/10410236.2025.2450853","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study extends the Theory of Normative Social Behavior by examining the cross-lagged effects of perceived norms on mask-wearing intention and behavior during an evolving COVID-19 pandemic. We also investigate the normative mechanisms of how social responsibility appeals improve compliance with mask-wearing behavior. A two-wave panel survey (<i>N</i> = 767) was conducted in Singapore in March and April 2020. Findings show that injunctive norms increase subsequent intention, whereas descriptive norms reduce subsequent behavior. Individuals may find it unnecessary to wear masks when they perceive many others are engaging in the action. Our result shows that this counterproductive effect could be mitigated by a greater sense of social pressure to comply, which can be reinforced by using social responsibility appeals. Our findings offer insights for theory extension and norms-based intervention strategies in pandemic contexts.</p>","PeriodicalId":12889,"journal":{"name":"Health Communication","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Health Communication","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2025.2450853","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"COMMUNICATION","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This study extends the Theory of Normative Social Behavior by examining the cross-lagged effects of perceived norms on mask-wearing intention and behavior during an evolving COVID-19 pandemic. We also investigate the normative mechanisms of how social responsibility appeals improve compliance with mask-wearing behavior. A two-wave panel survey (N = 767) was conducted in Singapore in March and April 2020. Findings show that injunctive norms increase subsequent intention, whereas descriptive norms reduce subsequent behavior. Individuals may find it unnecessary to wear masks when they perceive many others are engaging in the action. Our result shows that this counterproductive effect could be mitigated by a greater sense of social pressure to comply, which can be reinforced by using social responsibility appeals. Our findings offer insights for theory extension and norms-based intervention strategies in pandemic contexts.
期刊介绍：
As an outlet for scholarly intercourse between medical and social sciences, this noteworthy journal seeks to improve practical communication between caregivers and patients and between institutions and the public. Outstanding editorial board members and contributors from both medical and social science arenas collaborate to meet the challenges inherent in this goal. Although most inclusions are data-based, the journal also publishes pedagogical, methodological, theoretical, and applied articles using both quantitative or qualitative methods.
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