The Impact of Interest Frames on Citizens’ Coproduction Willingness: It Depends on Social Norms

This study examines how personal-interest and public-interest frames influence citizens’ willingness to engage in coproduction, and whether the relative effectiveness of these two frames depends on the surrounding social normative context. Although both personal-interest and public-interest appeals have been used to mobilize citizen participation in coproduction, existing evidence remains mixed regarding which type of frame is more effective. We will conduct three survey experiments in the context of community regeneration. Experiment 1 will examine the moderating role of injunctive norms, Experiment 2 will examine the moderating role of descriptive norms, and Experiment 3 will examine the joint normative context formed by both types of norms. The study will aim to clarify the normative boundary conditions under which personal-interest and public-interest frames shape citizens’ willingness to participate in coproduction, thereby contributing to research on information framing and citizen coproduction.