From intragroup to intergroup phenomena: A new look at social norms, social identity, and behavior

Social norms are a multidisciplinary concept utilized throughout the social sciences and in applied areas of attitude and behavior change (e.g., marketing, voting behavior, and regulation). However, the processes through which social norms shape behavior en masse remain underconceptualized. This chapter argues that the impact of group psychology specifically is largely neglected, and the aim is to outline a significant paradigm shift based on the social identity approach (SIA). The emphasis is on social norms reconceptualized as ingroup norms rooted in salient social identities shaped by intergroup comparisons. It is not social norms per se that influence people's behavior; rather, it is the group that endorses these norms as ingroup norms. A case is made that most norm-based interventions are intragroup in nature and have missed the potential of an intergroup approach. By highlighting this novel intergroup analysis of social norms, future directions for norm-based behavior intervention research are proposed.