THE IMPORTANCE OF SUBJECTIVE NORMS FOR A MINORITY OF PEOPLE - BETWEEN-SUBJECTS AND WITHIN-SUBJECTS ANALYSES

Intentions to perform most behaviors are more controlled by attitudes than by subjective norms. Yet subjective norms typically account for a significant, albeit small, proportion of unique variance in intention s. To explore the hypothesis that this effect can be explained largely by individual differences in the degree to which some people are apt to be more under normative control, subjects were asked to indicate th eir intentions, attitudes, and subjective norms toward performing 30 b ehaviors. Between-subjects and within-subjects analyses were performed . The within-subjects analyses revealed important differences in, whet her subjects are under attitudinal or normative control across the beh aviors. Further, when ''normatively controlled'' subjects were exclude d from the sample, the significant effects of subjective norms on inte ntions that were obtained in previous between-subjects analyses were e liminated, and the attitudinal effects were augmented. Finally, this i ndividual difference was associated with the strength of the collectiv e self.