Words, deeds and the perception of consequences and responsibility in action situations.

Abstract

Proposes that correspondence between people's norms and their behavior can be expected only when pertinent norms are activated in the choice situation, and that activation depends upon how consequences and responsibility for social behavior are perceived. Using indexes of tendencies to become aware of consequences for the welfare of others and to ascribe responsibility to the self, 118 male college Ss were assigned to groups with different probabilities of experiencing activation of their norms. Within groups presumed to experience little activation of norms, no correspondence between norms and behavior was observed. Increasingly positive correlations were found within groups more likely to experience activation of norms. (For a summary index, r = .02 in the lowest group, and r = .58 in the highest.) Findings suggest an interaction between ascription of responsibility and awareness of consequences in activating norms. (25 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)