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<p>This study explores the role of <b>norm nudging</b> in shaping the health-related decisions of college students, focusing on the interaction between institutional sources and message types. We investigate how the alignment between the messenger (institution) and the message can amplify or diminish the salience of information, by introducing the concept of the Institutional Discounting Effect (IDE) to describe the reduced effectiveness of messages that are overly aligned with institutional values. In three studies, we aimed to increase undergraduates' propensity to donate blood and decrease their intentions to consume alcohol by examining two institutional sources (NGOs and the University) and two types of messages: <b>prosocial norms and informational messages</b> typical of NGOs, and <b>descriptive social norms</b>. Our results reveal that NGOs are more effective in conveying social norms than their traditional prosocial and informational messaging strategies. In contrast, universities excel at communicating prosocial and ethical messages rather than using social norms. These findings underscore the crucial need to carefully match messenger and message to maximize communication effectiveness and avoid the IDE.</p>

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Institutional discounting effect in nudging health-relevant behaviors among students

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年8月29日

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  • Riccardo Viale,
  • Veronica Cucchiarini,
  • Laura Caravona,
  • Antonio Roazzi,
  • Laura Macchi

摘要

This study explores the role of norm nudging in shaping the health-related decisions of college students, focusing on the interaction between institutional sources and message types. We investigate how the alignment between the messenger (institution) and the message can amplify or diminish the salience of information, by introducing the concept of the Institutional Discounting Effect (IDE) to describe the reduced effectiveness of messages that are overly aligned with institutional values. In three studies, we aimed to increase undergraduates' propensity to donate blood and decrease their intentions to consume alcohol by examining two institutional sources (NGOs and the University) and two types of messages: prosocial norms and informational messages typical of NGOs, and descriptive social norms. Our results reveal that NGOs are more effective in conveying social norms than their traditional prosocial and informational messaging strategies. In contrast, universities excel at communicating prosocial and ethical messages rather than using social norms. These findings underscore the crucial need to carefully match messenger and message to maximize communication effectiveness and avoid the IDE.