Hand planting a seedling in a sustainable community.

Beyond Approval: Why Understanding What People Actually Do Matters for the Planet

Soraya Malik in Climate & Environment June 2025 • 4 min read.

"Uncover the hidden power of descriptive norms in environmental conservation and how they can revolutionize our approach to behavior change."

We often assume that knowing what people approve of is enough to shape behavior. Environmental campaigns frequently focus on highlighting the benefits of eco-friendly actions and emphasizing social approval for those who participate. However, what if this is only half the story? What if understanding what people actually do—their descriptive norms—holds the key to unlocking widespread environmental action?

The traditional approach to understanding social norms often relies on measuring approval or acceptability. Methods like the Return Potential Model (RPM) quantify belief structures by aggregating personal ratings of how acceptable a particular behavior is. But this approach overlooks a crucial dimension of normative belief: the descriptive aspect. Descriptive norms encompass beliefs about what behaviors are common or typical. They reflect what we observe others doing, influencing our own choices often unconsciously.

Imagine a community where everyone approves of recycling, yet only a few actually do it. Focusing solely on approval might lead to ineffective campaigns. Incorporating descriptive norms – highlighting how many people are already recycling – could be the missing ingredient to encourage wider participation.

The Power of Descriptive Norms: More Than Just Approval

Hand planting a seedling in a sustainable community.

A recent study delved into the importance of descriptive norms in the context of aquatic invasive species (AIS) mitigation. Researchers investigated boaters' beliefs about actions designed to prevent the spread of these harmful species. Traditionally, such studies focus on whether boaters approve of practices like cleaning, draining, and drying their equipment. This study went further by also measuring boaters’ perceptions of how common these behaviors are.

The findings revealed a significant gap between approval and commonness. While boaters generally approved of AIS mitigation behaviors, they didn't necessarily believe these behaviors were widely practiced. This disconnect highlights a critical insight: people may support an action in principle, but their likelihood of engaging in it is heavily influenced by their perception of how common it is among their peers.

This research underscores several key takeaways for environmental initiatives:

Beyond Awareness: It's not enough to simply raise awareness and approval. Campaigns must also address perceptions of commonness.
Highlight the Positive: Showcase existing examples of widespread sustainable behavior to create a positive descriptive norm.
Address Misperceptions: Correct any misperceptions about how common a behavior actually is. Often, people underestimate the prevalence of pro-environmental actions.
Tailor Interventions: Design interventions that specifically target descriptive norms to encourage behavior change.

The Future of Norm Research: A More Complete Picture

By incorporating descriptive norms into our understanding of environmental behavior, we gain a more complete and nuanced picture. This expanded perspective allows for more effective interventions that bridge the gap between approval and action, ultimately leading to greater adoption of sustainable practices and a healthier planet.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1080/08941920.2018.1485991, Alternate LINK

Title: Extending The Return Potential Model With A Descriptive Normative Belief Measure

Subject: Sociology and Political Science

Journal: Society & Natural Resources

Publisher: Informa UK Limited

Authors: Kenneth E. Wallen, Gerard T. Kyle

Published: 2018-08-13

Everything You Need To Know

What are descriptive norms and why are they important in environmental conservation?

Descriptive norms are beliefs about what behaviors are common or typical. They are important because they influence our own choices, often unconsciously, by reflecting what we observe others doing. Unlike simply knowing what people approve of, understanding descriptive norms helps in designing more effective environmental campaigns that encourage widespread action by showcasing how many people are already engaging in sustainable behaviors. Campaigns should also address misperceptions and highlight how common pro-environmental actions are.

How does the Return Potential Model (RPM) relate to understanding social norms, and what does it miss?

The Return Potential Model (RPM) quantifies belief structures by aggregating personal ratings of how acceptable a particular behavior is. While useful for understanding approval or acceptability, it overlooks the crucial descriptive aspect of normative belief, which encompasses beliefs about what behaviors are common or typical. This means that while RPM can tell us what people *approve* of, it doesn't necessarily tell us what they *actually do*, leading to a potentially incomplete picture of the social influences on behavior.

Why is it not enough to simply raise awareness and approval in environmental campaigns?

Raising awareness and approval is a good start, but it's often not enough because people's behavior is heavily influenced by their perception of how common a behavior is among their peers (descriptive norms). Even if people support an action in principle, they may not engage in it if they believe it's not widely practiced. Effective campaigns must also address perceptions of commonness and showcase existing examples of widespread sustainable behavior to create a positive descriptive norm.

Can you give an example of how incorporating descriptive norms can improve an environmental campaign?

Consider a campaign promoting water conservation. Instead of just emphasizing the importance of saving water, the campaign could highlight that “70% of your neighbors are already using water-efficient showerheads.” This approach leverages the power of descriptive norms to make water conservation seem like a common and expected behavior. This helps people understand that water conservation is not just something that is approved of, but something that is actively practiced by many, encouraging wider participation.

What are the implications of focusing on descriptive norms for future research and interventions in environmental behavior?

Focusing on descriptive norms allows for more effective interventions that bridge the gap between approval and action. Future research should continue to explore how descriptive norms interact with other factors influencing behavior, such as personal values and situational constraints. Interventions should be tailored to specifically target descriptive norms, correct misperceptions about the prevalence of pro-environmental actions, and leverage the power of social influence to encourage widespread adoption of sustainable practices, leading to a healthier planet.