The present study aimed to examine how a manipulated majority position affects attitude change for intergroup and non-intergroup issues. Specifically I wanted to see how norms of tolerance and norms of prejudice differed. The study employed a 3 (majority manipulated position: positive, neutral, or negative) X 2 (issue type: intergroup or non-intergroup) ANCOVA. Additionally, I wanted to examine how participants’ perceived societal direction affects attitude change for intergroup issues with a 3 (majority manipulated position: positive, neutral, or negative) X 3 (perceived direction of attitude: support, stay the same, negative) ANOVA. Participants were randomly assigned to view a majority manipulation position. Attitude change was determined by a difference between a pre-and post-manipulation score. In partial support of my hypothesis intergroup issues elicited more norm-consistent attitude change than non-intergroup topics, however this was driven by a prejudicial social norm effect. No effect was found for perceived societal direction.

The current study employed the self-validation hypothesis (Petty, Brinol, & Tormala, 2002) to test how thought confidence affects individuals’ responses to social norms regarding gay rights. After measuring their gay rights attitudes and thought confidence, participants took part in a discussion where they faced groups that either opposed their position on gay rights unanimously or non-unanimously (i.e., 4 opposing confederates vs. 3 opposing confederates and one supporting confederate). Those who were anti-gay rights conformed more than those pro, particularly when facing unanimous opposition. Thought confidence reduced the effects of normative pressure on conformity, but only in those who were anti-gay rights. Attitude change was reduced for anti-gay rights people with high thought confidence, but only when a supporting confederate was present. These results suggest that thought confidence affects resistance to social norms in people who are anti-gay rights whereas pro-gay rights people resist regardless of their level of thought confidence.

Volunteer tourism as an alternative to mass tourism has grown significantly since the 1970s, sparking research interest in the subject. However, there is little research that has examined future potential volunteer tourists' various perceptions, needs and wants. The purpose of this study was to understand how and in what way various potential volunteer tourists' beliefs, including attitudes, subjective norms, self-efficacy and motivation, influence their future intended participation in a volunteer tourism experience using the revised theory of planned behavior. Moreover, the potential moderating effect of past volunteer tourism experience was examined as well. The study collected 291 usable responses from potential volunteer tourists who were active members of volunteer tourism organizations. The study used second order confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling and hierarchical multiple regression analysis to test study hypotheses. The study also used meta-analysis to examine the effect size of the predicting variables and compared it with that of previous tourism research. The results of structural equation modeling indicated that two constructs, both attitudes and subjective norms, appeared to be statistically significant, while self-efficacy and motivation were not statistically significant in predicting potential volunteer tourists' intended participation. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis found a moderating effect of past volunteer tourism experience on motivation toward intended participation in a negative direction. In addition, the motivation factor "altruism" moderated in a negative direction. Meta-analysis found a large effect of attitudes, a medium effect of subjective norms, and a small effect of self-efficacy in relation to intended participation. In conclusion, the results did not validate the theory of planned behavior in the context of volunteer tourism research. Interestingly, the theory of reasoned action was found to be validated. Implications for volunteer tourism providers and organizations are also discussed. / Ph. D.

This study proposes that members of Greek social organizations have higher rates of binge drinking as compared to other college students due to their greater acceptance of norms and motives that support binge drinking. The College Alcohol Study, a survey conducted by the Harvard School of Public Heath, was administered to 10, 904 university students. The survey measured various aspects of students' experiences at their respective universities including experiences with and perceptions of alcohol use. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine normative and motivational predictors of binge drinking for Greek and non-Greek students. The results show that Greek members binge drink at higher levels than do other students. The results also indicate that social norm and motive variables, which were thought to be predictive of binge drinking practices for all students, are better predictors of binge drinking for non-Greek members. Implications of theses findings, discussion of results, limitations of the study, and recommendations for future research are presented.

<p> Collectivism refers to a tendency to value group membership and collective responsibility. Much of what we know about how collectivism influences team effectiveness is drawn from research that has assumed collectivism to be determined by either cultural contexts (e.g., Hofstede, 1980), or individual differences (e.g., Triandis, Leung, Villareal, & Clack, 1985). Based largely in social psychology, another perspective is emerging in which collectivism is viewed as a group norm within a team. The issue of collectivistic group norms within teams has yet to be examined in relation to team effectiveness outcomes, and may help to explain phenomena that have yet to be fully explained by cultural contexts or individual differences. In a longitudinal study of 60 self-managing teams performing a human resources management simulation, collectivistic group norms was positively associated with collective efficacy and team performance after controlling for the individual difference measure of psychological collectivism. Although psychological collectivism was positively associated with collectivistic group norms, only the two psychological collectivism sub-dimensions of concern and norm acceptance were positively associated with collectivistic group norms while no associations were found between collectivistic group norms and the remaining three sub-dimensions of preference, reliance, and goal priority. Collective efficacy fully mediated the association between collectivistic group norms and team performance. Collectivistic group norm sharedness moderated the associations between collectivistic group norms and collective efficacy, and collectivistic group norms and team performance. This study is among the first to introduce collectivistic group norms to the organizational behaviour literature and to use collectivistic group norm sharedness to account for unique variance in collective efficacy and team performance.</p> / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Absence from school is a social phenomenon that not only affects the individual's personal quality of life but foremost can be seen as social problems related to the educational system as well as to other social costs (social exclusion, public health, criminality etc). The purpose of this essay is therefore to contribute to a better understanding of school absenteeism among Swedish upper secondary students’ and assess how the current strategies of addressing school absenteeism could be improved, especially facing recent circumstances related to eg.: Covid 19. The essay tries to achieve that by interviewing Swedish teachers, who are trying to tackle the problem on an everyday basis and whose voices seem to be absent from the research related to school absenteeism. The research part of the presented essay is based on qualitative semi-structured interviews and the project-related data will be analyzed through thematic analysis and inspirations drawn on Merton’s strain theory. The study's conclusion reports how the teachers' way of working is consistent with previous research through quick action after locating patterns in absenteeism and building better relationships between the school and the students’. The novelty of the presented study, which distinguishes it from the previous research, seems to be sealed in clearly formulated by respondents, something the teachers problematize through a so-called culture of absence. The discussion reveals deficient working methods through the prevailing secrecy and new working methods that would advocate faster investigations and better dialogue with social services and parents.

The present study examined how environmental attitudes and behaviors can be affected using social norms. The study employed a 2 (participant position: pro-environmental or anti-environmental) × 2 (context condition: face-toace or computer mediated communication) × 2 (normative pressure: unanimous or non-unanimous) quasi-experimental design. Participant position was a nonrandomized group classification factor based on responses to a screening survey. Attitude extremity was controlled for in analyses. Participants initially anti-environmental reform and in the non-unanimous normative pressure condition had significantly less attitude change than that of those who were anti-environmental reform and in the unanimous normative pressure condition. Pro-environmental reform people were not affected by the variations in group pressure. Higher rates of conformity found in the computer mediated context did not translate into attitude change. No differences were found in political behavior. Findings suggest that advertising employing unanimous normative pressure in a face-toace interaction would persuade anti-environmentalists to become more pro-environmental.

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