Much of human behavior is influenced by social norms. Although communication represents one important mechanism through which norms are formed and disseminated, the role of communication has not yet received sufficient attention in social norms research. The present paper develops a communication perspective on normative social influences by applying the theory of normative social behavior (TNSB) as a guiding framework. Taking into account recent and significant changes in our media environment, propositions on the role of communication with referent others (online and offline) a) in the building of norms and b) for the moderation of normative social influences on behaviors are stated. We discuss the benefits and limitations of our communication perspective and raise questions that should be considered in future research.

Social norms have been found to be an important factor in individuals' health and risk behaviors. Past research has typically addressed which social norms individuals perceive in their social environments (e.g., in their peer group). The present article explores normative social influences beyond such perceptions by applying a multilevel approach and differentiating between perceived norms at the individual level and collective norms at the group level. Data on norms and three road traffic risk behaviors (speeding, driving after drinking, and texting while driving) were obtained from a representative survey among young German car drivers (N = 311 anchor respondents) and their peer groups (overall N = 1,244). Multilevel modeling (MLM) revealed that beyond individual normative perceptions of peers' behavior and approval, actual collective norms (peers' actual risk behavior and attitudes) affect individuals' risk behaviors. Findings are discussed with regard to theorizing normative influences on risk behavior and practical implications.

This study explores the role of peer communication in normative social influences on risk behavior. We use the theory of normative social behavior (TNSB) as a guiding framework for developing a communication perspective on normative social influences. Peer communication is conceptualized as a norm-building factor and its concrete role is specified as a function of its content. The hypotheses on peer communication's impact on norms in normative social influences are tested for the case of speeding in road traffic. The analyses are based on representative survey data of 1,138 German young car drivers. Findings from mediational analyses indicate that peer communication plays a crucial role in the formation of social norms which, in turn, affect risk behavior, and that the communication's health-promoting potential depends on its content. Implications for further norm-based theory development and strategic risk communication are discussed.

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