Investigating the motivations underlying harmful social behaviors and the motivational nature of social norms

The present research applies a self-determination theory framework to capture the broad spectrum of reasons why individuals engage in harmful normative behaviors. This correlational study (N=242) focused on harmful behaviors that were either supported by one's in-group or not. Participants whose in-group encourages them to engage in a harmful behavior reported stronger motivation, both self-determined and non-self-determined. Perceiving strong in-group norms in favor of these behaviors was associated positively with the non-self-determined motivation pertaining to introjected regulation. The more participants agreed with an in-group norm in favor of a harmful behavior, the stronger their self-determination for engaging in this behavior. Results are discussed in light of self-determination theory, normative models of social influence, and intergroup theories.