Examining anti-littering intentions in Ghana through the theory of normative social behavior and the influence of dynamic norms
Grounded in the Theory of Normative Social Behavior (TNSB), this study examined how perceptions of static and dynamic norms and multidimensional outcome expectations influence anti-littering intentions in Ghana, based on in-person surveys with 527 participants. Results showed that neither static nor...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666622725000231 |
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| author | Kwaku Sarpong Danso Taylor Ann Foerster Rain Wuyu Liu |
| author_facet | Kwaku Sarpong Danso Taylor Ann Foerster Rain Wuyu Liu |
| author_sort | Kwaku Sarpong Danso |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Grounded in the Theory of Normative Social Behavior (TNSB), this study examined how perceptions of static and dynamic norms and multidimensional outcome expectations influence anti-littering intentions in Ghana, based on in-person surveys with 527 participants. Results showed that neither static nor dynamic norms exerted significant main effects on behavioral intentions. Instead, significant interactions emerged between descriptive and injunctive norms, both static and dynamic, highlighting the moderating effects of injunctive norms on the relationship between descriptive norms and intentions. Among outcome expectations, perceived health and self-related benefits were significant predictors of anti-littering intentions. Additionally, self-related outcome expectations moderated the relationship between static descriptive norms and intentions. These findings contribute to testing the TNSB in an understudied African context by demonstrating how normative influences operate in a distinctive sociocultural setting. They also suggest that, in certain contexts, environmental communication campaigns may be more effective when they leverage both static and dynamic normative messages and emphasize personal and health benefits. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8edc044d16be4ebf8427df791b93565d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2666-6227 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-8edc044d16be4ebf8427df791b93565d2025-08-20T03:36:42ZengElsevierCurrent Research in Ecological and Social Psychology2666-62272025-01-01910023610.1016/j.cresp.2025.100236Examining anti-littering intentions in Ghana through the theory of normative social behavior and the influence of dynamic normsKwaku Sarpong Danso0Taylor Ann Foerster1Rain Wuyu Liu2Department of Communication, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USADepartment of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Communication, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USADepartment of Communication, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; Corresponding author.Grounded in the Theory of Normative Social Behavior (TNSB), this study examined how perceptions of static and dynamic norms and multidimensional outcome expectations influence anti-littering intentions in Ghana, based on in-person surveys with 527 participants. Results showed that neither static nor dynamic norms exerted significant main effects on behavioral intentions. Instead, significant interactions emerged between descriptive and injunctive norms, both static and dynamic, highlighting the moderating effects of injunctive norms on the relationship between descriptive norms and intentions. Among outcome expectations, perceived health and self-related benefits were significant predictors of anti-littering intentions. Additionally, self-related outcome expectations moderated the relationship between static descriptive norms and intentions. These findings contribute to testing the TNSB in an understudied African context by demonstrating how normative influences operate in a distinctive sociocultural setting. They also suggest that, in certain contexts, environmental communication campaigns may be more effective when they leverage both static and dynamic normative messages and emphasize personal and health benefits.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666622725000231Descriptive and injunctive normsDynamic normsTNSBPro-environment behaviorsSurveyAnti-littering |
| spellingShingle | Kwaku Sarpong Danso Taylor Ann Foerster Rain Wuyu Liu Examining anti-littering intentions in Ghana through the theory of normative social behavior and the influence of dynamic norms Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology Descriptive and injunctive norms Dynamic norms TNSB Pro-environment behaviors Survey Anti-littering |
| title | Examining anti-littering intentions in Ghana through the theory of normative social behavior and the influence of dynamic norms |
| title_full | Examining anti-littering intentions in Ghana through the theory of normative social behavior and the influence of dynamic norms |
| title_fullStr | Examining anti-littering intentions in Ghana through the theory of normative social behavior and the influence of dynamic norms |
| title_full_unstemmed | Examining anti-littering intentions in Ghana through the theory of normative social behavior and the influence of dynamic norms |
| title_short | Examining anti-littering intentions in Ghana through the theory of normative social behavior and the influence of dynamic norms |
| title_sort | examining anti littering intentions in ghana through the theory of normative social behavior and the influence of dynamic norms |
| topic | Descriptive and injunctive norms Dynamic norms TNSB Pro-environment behaviors Survey Anti-littering |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666622725000231 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kwakusarpongdanso examiningantilitteringintentionsinghanathroughthetheoryofnormativesocialbehaviorandtheinfluenceofdynamicnorms AT taylorannfoerster examiningantilitteringintentionsinghanathroughthetheoryofnormativesocialbehaviorandtheinfluenceofdynamicnorms AT rainwuyuliu examiningantilitteringintentionsinghanathroughthetheoryofnormativesocialbehaviorandtheinfluenceofdynamicnorms |