Dissecting the dimension of protection: Caligae and Scutum in the evaluative model of normative appeals.

A normative appeal indicates that one should (or should not) do a certain action in a concrete situation. According to the Evaluative Model of Normative Appeals (EMNA), willingness to comply with these messages depends on an appraisal formed by two dimensions: formality and protection. In this work we center on the dimension of protection, proposing that it can be divided into two components: avoiding physical or psychological damage (scutum) and affording the performance of the main intended action (caligae). We conducted two studies to test this twofold meaning of protection. In Study 1 (N = 525), we manipulated the coherence of regulatory focus (promotion vs. control vs. prevention) with salience of the components of protection (caligae vs. control vs. scutum). In Study 2 (N = 513), we separately measured the perception of each component referred to an actual normative appeal (i.e., "To get into a class punctually"). The results showed that the manipulated salience and the measured perception of caligae and scutum elicits (Study 1) and predicts (Study 2) higher willingness to comply with normative appeals. Theoretical and applied implications of the results are discussed.

Revisiting the difference between instrumental and terminal values to predict (stimulating) prosocial behaviours: The transcendental-change profile.

Past research suggests that the connection between values and people's behaviour may not be as straightforward and robust as has been claimed. We propose that a more holistic and discriminative view that acknowledges the influence of a specific combination of values on specific kinds of behaviour is needed. In the current project, we test two hypotheses regarding the transcendental-change profile (TCP). First, that TCP is characterized by a combination of the readiness to engage in those challenges (instrumental) that can make the world a better place (terminal). Second, the centrality of the TCP facilitates performance of those prosocial actions that are perceived as stimulating and global. The results of five studies support the reliability and validity of this conceptualization of TCP (Studies 1 and 2), and show that when the prosocial initiative is perceived as either global (Study 3) or stimulating (Studies 4 and 5), the TCP is the strongest predictor of the willingness and commitment to engage in such prosocial action.

"You should (not) do that": An Evaluative Model of Normative Appeals (EMNA).

Normative appeals refer to those messages that indicate that one should (or should not) engage in a certain action in a given situation. According to the psychosocial research, the decision to fulfill a normative appeal depends on both the extent to which it has captured our attention and the evaluation of what we may gain or lose by doing so. However, according to the Evaluative Model of Normative Appeals (EMNA), between these two processes we carry out an evaluation (normative appraisal) that strongly influences the decision that is ultimately made. Specifically, this normative appraisal, which is done in accordance with the dimensions of formality and protection, transforms the appeal into a particular normative representation (i.e., custom, coercive law, prescription, or legitimate law) that, in turn, influences the willingness toward compliance or violation. The results of three studies support these basic premises of EMNA.