The common behavior effect in norm learning: when frequent observations override the behavior of the majority

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  • dc.contributor.author Woiczyk, Thomas Karl Alfred
  • dc.contributor.author Hosseini, Rahil
  • dc.contributor.author Le Mens, Gaël
  • dc.date.accessioned 2025-10-24T16:27:59Z
  • dc.date.available 2025-10-24T16:27:59Z
  • dc.date.issued 2025
  • dc.date.updated 2025-10-24T16:27:58Z
  • dc.description.abstract Prior research suggests that descriptive norms correspond to what most people do-the "behavior of the majority." We examine norm perception in situations where the behavior of the majority differs from the most frequently observed behavior-the "common behavior." In environments where individuals learn descriptive norms through repeated observations of a reference group, we propose that perceived norms align more closely with the common behavior than with the behavior of the majority. Consequently, individuals are more likely to follow the common behavior, even when it differs from what most people do. We argue that this 'common behavior effect' arises from a combination of two factors: the structure of the information environments in which the behavior of the majority and the common behavior differ, and imperfect source memory of the observed behaviors. We provide evidence for the basic phenomenon and test two moderators in four studies reported in the body of the article and two ancillary studies reported in the appendix. These findings are important for our understanding of social norms, because they challenge the assumption that norms simply reflect the behavior of the majority. They also cast light on phenomena such as pluralistic ignorance, majority illusions in online and offline environments or the spread of misinformation on social media. Finally, they have practical implications for how to shape norms in organizations.
  • dc.description.sponsorship This work was sup-ported by the European Commission (grants 772268 and MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 to G.L.M.), the Agencia Estatal de Investigación, Spain (grants PID2019-105249GB-I00 and PID2022-137908NB-I00 to G.L.M.; PID2023-152226NB-I00 to T.K.A.W; PID2022-140026NB-I00 to R.H), the Fundación BBVA, Spain (Grant G999088Q to G.L.M.), the Barcelona School of Economics (grant CEX2019-000915-S to G.L.M.), the Instituto Nacional de Ciberseguridad (Grant INCIBE-CYBERTHREAT C115/23 to R.H.) and the ICREA Academia (grant to G.L.M). Guillem Pros Rius provided excellent research assistance with programming for Study 2.
  • dc.format.mimetype application/pdf
  • dc.identifier.citation Woiczy TKA, Hosseini R, Le Mens G. The common behavior effect in norm learning: when frequent observations override the behavior of the majority. Organ Behav Hum Decis Process. 2025 Nov;191:104441. DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2025.104441
  • dc.identifier.doi https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2025.104441
  • dc.identifier.issn 0749-5978
  • dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/10230/71655
  • dc.language.iso eng
  • dc.publisher Elsevier
  • dc.relation.ispartof Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. 2025 Nov;191:104441
  • dc.relation.projectID info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/H2020/772268
  • dc.relation.projectID info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/2PE/PID2019-105249GB-I00
  • dc.relation.projectID info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/3PE/PID2022-137908NB-I00
  • dc.relation.projectID info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/3PE/PID2023-152226NB-I00
  • dc.relation.projectID info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/3PE/PID2022-140026NB-I00
  • dc.rights © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/bync-nd/4.0/).
  • dc.rights.accessRights info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
  • dc.rights.uri http://creativecommons.org/licenses/bync-nd/4.0/
  • dc.subject.keyword Norm perception
  • dc.subject.keyword Descriptive norms
  • dc.subject.keyword Social influence
  • dc.subject.keyword Information sampling
  • dc.title The common behavior effect in norm learning: when frequent observations override the behavior of the majority
  • dc.type info:eu-repo/semantics/article
  • dc.type.version info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

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