Thus, group norms may influence parents' online information seeking behaviour and, as such, the influence of the perceived actions and attitudes of an important referent group (i.e., most mothers I know) was examined specifically in this study.
The second construct, fostering perceptions of friendship group normative support for sun protection, will be addressed through the use of animated scenarios depicting situations in which a character is faced with opposition to performing sun-protective behaviour from an important referent or referents.
Finally, our study shows that unit co-workers are such an important social referent that, despite the higher levels of uncertainty and risk in outside-subsidiary knowledge sharing, individuals look to their unit co-workers for cues on desired knowledge sharing behaviors.
"Behavioural beliefs refer to the expected consequences of the planned behaviour, normative beliefs refer to the perceived behavioural expectations of important referent individuals or groups e.g. family, friends, while control beliefs have to do with the perceived presence of factors that can facilitate or impede the performance of a certain behavior".
The subjective norm is determined by individual's belief about each important referent approval or disapproval of the behavior (normative belief) and individual's motivation to comply with each referent (motivation to comply).
A qualitative elicitation study (N = 42) (Leske S, Young RM, White KM, Hawkes AL: A qualitative exploration of sun safety beliefs among Australian adults, forthcoming) was conducted to identify relevant costs and benefits of sun protection, important referent groups, and barriers and facilitators to sun protection.
Important referents in an individual's life (e.g., spouse, friend, family) may play a key role in the formation of his/her normative beliefs.
Subjective norms are determined by a person's beliefs about whether important referents approve/disapprove of them performing the behaviour (normative beliefs; e.g., other nurses would approve of me performing hand hygiene).
Based upon TRA/TPB [ 28], an individual's subjective norms reflect his/her beliefs about whether or not important referents approve or disapprove of the behavior and would encourage or discourage him/her to engage in CRCS, as well as motivation to comply with those referents.
The intervention will target previously identified costs and benefits, important referents, and barriers and motivators.
Thus, Chinese social behaviors are more easily influenced by opinions and behaviors from others, especially by those from powerful figures and important referents, compared with 'independent self' societies [ 44].
