ABSTRACT
Deviance regulation theory predicts that attempts to influence human conduct should be more successful when the message characterizes people whose behaviors diverge from, rather than those that conform to, the perceived norm. The social identity and self-categorization perspective contends that behavioral outcomes are influenced by reference group norms, but only for those individuals who consider group membership to be a salient basis for self-representation. Importantly, one of the primary factors that appears to influence whether group membership is seen as a salient basis for self-conceptualization is the meaningfulness and level of identification that one has for the group. Much like the distinction that M. Deutsch and H. B. Gerard made between informational and normative influences, R. B. Cialdini et al. suggested that descriptive and injunctive norms influence conduct through separate sources of human motivation. Descriptive norms refer to perceptions of what is done, whereas injunctive norms refer to perceptions of what ought to be done.
