Perceived Approval

Output

Outcome

% of [specify the target group] who believe that [specify an influential person or group] approves of them [specify the behaviour]

This indicator measures the proportion of target group members who believe that a specified person or group whose opinion matters to them approves of them practising a given behaviour. Perceived approval can influence people's willingness to adopt or continue a behaviour. However, it does not measure whether the person or group actually approves, whether respondents practise the behaviour, or whether wider social norms have changed.

Collect the following data by conducting individual interviews with a representative sample of the target group members. Before collecting data, use formative research to identify whose approval matters most for the specific behaviour. Specify this person or group in the survey question and indicator wording.

 

RECOMMENDED SURVEY QUESTION (Q) AND POSSIBLE ANSWERS (A)

Q1: Do you think that [specify the relevant person or group] approves of you [specify the behaviour]?

A1: yes / no / doesn’t know / not applicable / prefers not to answer

 

To calculate the indicator's value, divide the number of respondents who answer "yes" by the total number of respondents who answer "yes", "no" or "does not know". Multiply the result by 100 to convert it to a percentage. Report the proportion of "does not know" responses separately, as this can help interpret the findings. Exclude "not applicable", "prefers not to answer" and missing responses from the calculation.

This data can be disaggregated by gender and age group, and, if relevant, also by other characteristics that may influence perceived approval.

1) Different people might have different attitudes to the behaviour in question. For example, while friends might approve of it, the wider community might not approve of it. Therefore, consider:

• Using the results of formative research to identify the people whose opinions most influence the target behaviour (e.g. husbands or parents) and focusing the indicator on them.

• Alternatively, you can use the same question to ask separately about different groups of people (i.e. assessing whether they believe that the spouse approves / relatives approve / community members approve, etc.). If asking about several groups, calculate and report a separate percentage for each one. Do not combine their responses into a single percentage, as approval from different groups may have different meanings and influence.

 

2) It is important that the data collectors understand that “approve” in this case implies the idea of being “in favour of….”. It does not mean “give permission” or “allow”. Translators should use care when selecting the word to convey the meaning of this word.

Also consider using the following indicators:

• Favourable Attitude (assesses respondents' own attitudes towards the behaviour, which may differ from their perceptions of others' approval)

• Perceived Social Norms (assesses beliefs about how common the behaviour is among others, complementing perceived approval)

• Intention to Adopt a Behaviour (assesses whether people who do not practise the behaviour intend to adopt it)

• Perceived Self-Efficacy (assesses people's confidence in their ability to practise the behaviour, even where they perceive social approval)

• Prevalence of Barriers to Change (identifies other barriers that may prevent adoption despite perceived approval)