Does thinking about (in)active others influence physical activity intentions? An experimental investigation of availability heuristics and descriptive norms

Abstract

Substantial nonexperimental research has demonstrated that individuals’ perceptions that personally important others are physically active (i.e., positive descriptive norm perceptions) are positively associated with physical activity (PA) intentions. However, little experimental research has examined how norms from personally important others influence PA intentions. Based on social norm theories and the principle of availability heuristics, this study experimentally manipulated individuals’ norm perceptions with respect to valence (i.e., thinking about others who are physically active vs. inactive) and ease of recall of norms (i.e., thinking of three vs. ten others). A sample of 328 participants (Mage = 27.3 ± 12.8 years) completed an online survey twice over two weeks, within which they were randomly assigned to list: (1) three physically active others, (2) ten physically active others, (3) three physically inactive others, or (4) ten physically inactive others. It was hypothesised that those assigned to the conditions that were expected to lead to easy recall of active others (condition 1) and difficult recall of inactive others (condition 4) would report higher PA intentions than those assigned to the conditions that were expected to lead to difficult recall of active others (condition 2) and easy recall of inactive others (condition 3). The findings did not support the hypothesis and may be explained by various possibilities related to individuals’ varying social comparison tendencies, different degrees of motivation to comply with norms, or manipulation of norms in unintended directions. Overall, the mechanisms through which social norms impact PA intentions appear complex and warrant further research.