This paper examines the dual role of commitment in accelerating the mitigation of maladaptive norms. By drawing on the literature on social norms and commitment, I analyze how commitments (i) explain the deviant behavior of trendsetters and (ii) expedite social change by prompting counterpreferential choices among second movers. Specifically, the paper explores two key aspects of this dynamic: (1) the importance of moral norms, particularly in the relationship between trendsetters' commitments and their unconditional preferences, and (2) the unique role of second movers, whose commitment to trendsetters can lead them to make choices that contradict their conditional preferences in favor of trendsetters' behavior. This suggests that second movers, despite their tendency to conform to established social norms, may act against their conditional preferences due to their commitment to trendsetters. Understanding the role of commitments in shaping the behaviors of trendsetters and second movers is essential to overcoming psychological barriers that impede social change. Nonetheless, further exploration is needed to determine which maladaptive norms are most responsive to commitments and under what circumstances counterpreferential choices are likely to prevail.

中文翻译：

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从潮流引领者到后者：承诺是社会变革的催化剂


本文探讨了承诺在加速缓解适应不良规范方面的双重作用。通过借鉴有关社会规范和承诺的文献，我分析了承诺如何 （i） 解释潮流引领者的越轨行为，以及 （ii） 通过促使后动者做出反优先选择来加速社会变革。具体来说，本文探讨了这种动态的两个关键方面：（1） 道德规范的重要性，特别是在潮流引领者的承诺与其无条件偏好之间的关系中，以及 （2） 后动者的独特作用，他们对潮流引领者的承诺可以引导他们做出与他们的条件偏好相矛盾的选择，以支持潮流引领者的行为。这表明，尽管后动者倾向于遵守既定的社会规范，但由于他们对潮流引领者的承诺，他们可能会违背他们的条件偏好。了解承诺在塑造潮流引领者和后者行为中的作用对于克服阻碍社会变革的心理障碍至关重要。尽管如此，还需要进一步探索以确定哪些适应不良的规范对承诺最敏感，以及在什么情况下可能会产生反优先选择。