Norms and Behavior – Chapter 10
Norms: Effective Guides for Social Behavior
Activating norms to guide behavior
We follow norms that are activated regularly. Norms can be made accessible by several means
direct reminders of norms
e.g. the sign in the library requests, “Quiet, please.”
environments activate norms
e.g. the silence in libraries and churches keeps our voices hushed
- more participants littered in the dirty environment than in the clean one
→ prevailing norms have a big impact on behavior
when confederates are littering the participants threw more trash into the dirty environment
→ confederate’s behavior makes the norm implied by the state of the environment
(neatness or messiness) even more accessible and increases norm consistent behavior
- as we encounter particular environments regularly, we can build up mental associations
between the environment and the norms that apply there
groups activate norms
- we learn over time what different people or groups do, and so seeing those people then
activates the norm automatically
- British students picked up more fliers about sustainability and showed more willingness to
contact a government official about that issue if they had earlier compared themselves to
Americans rather than Swedes
→ the more accessible the in-group norm, the more likely we use it to guide our behavior
deindividuation
- we find ourselves totally embedded in the group, to the deindividuation
the psychological state in which group or
point that we don’t even think of ourselves as individuals
social identity completely dominates
- deindividuation increases whatever behavior is typical personal or individual identity so that
• in negative direction group norms become maximally accessible
e.g. antisocial in KKK uniforms
• in positive direction
e.g. prosocial in nurselike uniforms
- when social identity is uppermost, people are more likely to do what the group norm tells
them they should
Which norms guide behavior?
descriptive norms
e.g. we are more likely to drink alcohol when we see others around us drinking alcohol as well
- however, our estimates can be inaccurate
- by attention-grabbing instances of extreme behavior
- we forget that we interact only with a small number of in-group members
- we forget that we are influenced by media depictions that don’t reflect reality
- we overestimate how much others are performing particular behaviors
- solution: providing more accurate views of that people’s reference groups are doing
injunctive norms
e.g. whether sunscreen use is good or bad
, Norms and Behavior – Chapter 10
the interplay of descriptive and injunctive norms
- when injunctive and descriptive norms mismatch, behavioral intentions are as low as they
were when there was no support from either type of norm
- getting information about just one type of norm, we assume that the other norm is in line
Why does our behavior follow social norms?
1. norm enforcement: do it, or else
- group uses rewards and punishment to motivate people to adhere to group standards
- norm enforcement can occur through various means:
- by specifying behaviors that are legitimate and those that are not
- by withdrawing social acceptance and support from norm violators
- by using subtle behavioral signal to get people “back in line”
e.g. short silence in conversations following norm-violating statements
- by gossiping about fellow members if they violate a group norm
2. private acceptance: it’s right and proper, so I do it
- most norms are already privately accepted
- acting in line is not an unpleasant obligation, but a way of maintaining shared reality
Norms for Mastery and Connectedness
two powerful norms that guide behavior facilitate the goals of mastery and connectedness are the
norm of reciprocity and the norm of social commitment
norm of reciprocity norm of reciprocity
- even after paying back a favor, a situation in which no further people are obligated to return to others
need for reciprocation seem warranted, people are likely to the goods, services, and concessions
agree to another request they offer to us
- door-in the-face technique activates the norm of reciprocity
under three conditions door-in-the-face technique
I. initial is large enough to be refused but not so large that the influencer makes an initial request
it will breed suspicion so large that it will be rejected, and
II. target has the chance to compromise by refusing the follows with a smaller request that
looks like a concession, making it more
initial request and complying with the second request
likely that the other person will
III. second request must be related to the first request and concede in turn
come from the same person
norm of social commitment
- ninety-five percent of the people who agreed to watch the
norm of social commitment
radio tried to stop the thief
people are required to honor their
- social contracts ensure that group members play their part when agreements and obligations
coordinated behavior is required to achieve goals
- low-ball technique low-ball technique
the influencer secures agreement with
a request but then increases the cost of
honoring the commitment
The Norm of Obedience: Submitting to Authority
Milgram’s experiment
- participants acted as “teachers” to deliver electric shocks to a “learner”
→ 65% of the participants delivered shocks all the way to the 450-volt level
- obedience to authority can occur regardless of participant, culture, setting, or time
Norms: Effective Guides for Social Behavior
Activating norms to guide behavior
We follow norms that are activated regularly. Norms can be made accessible by several means
direct reminders of norms
e.g. the sign in the library requests, “Quiet, please.”
environments activate norms
e.g. the silence in libraries and churches keeps our voices hushed
- more participants littered in the dirty environment than in the clean one
→ prevailing norms have a big impact on behavior
when confederates are littering the participants threw more trash into the dirty environment
→ confederate’s behavior makes the norm implied by the state of the environment
(neatness or messiness) even more accessible and increases norm consistent behavior
- as we encounter particular environments regularly, we can build up mental associations
between the environment and the norms that apply there
groups activate norms
- we learn over time what different people or groups do, and so seeing those people then
activates the norm automatically
- British students picked up more fliers about sustainability and showed more willingness to
contact a government official about that issue if they had earlier compared themselves to
Americans rather than Swedes
→ the more accessible the in-group norm, the more likely we use it to guide our behavior
deindividuation
- we find ourselves totally embedded in the group, to the deindividuation
the psychological state in which group or
point that we don’t even think of ourselves as individuals
social identity completely dominates
- deindividuation increases whatever behavior is typical personal or individual identity so that
• in negative direction group norms become maximally accessible
e.g. antisocial in KKK uniforms
• in positive direction
e.g. prosocial in nurselike uniforms
- when social identity is uppermost, people are more likely to do what the group norm tells
them they should
Which norms guide behavior?
descriptive norms
e.g. we are more likely to drink alcohol when we see others around us drinking alcohol as well
- however, our estimates can be inaccurate
- by attention-grabbing instances of extreme behavior
- we forget that we interact only with a small number of in-group members
- we forget that we are influenced by media depictions that don’t reflect reality
- we overestimate how much others are performing particular behaviors
- solution: providing more accurate views of that people’s reference groups are doing
injunctive norms
e.g. whether sunscreen use is good or bad
, Norms and Behavior – Chapter 10
the interplay of descriptive and injunctive norms
- when injunctive and descriptive norms mismatch, behavioral intentions are as low as they
were when there was no support from either type of norm
- getting information about just one type of norm, we assume that the other norm is in line
Why does our behavior follow social norms?
1. norm enforcement: do it, or else
- group uses rewards and punishment to motivate people to adhere to group standards
- norm enforcement can occur through various means:
- by specifying behaviors that are legitimate and those that are not
- by withdrawing social acceptance and support from norm violators
- by using subtle behavioral signal to get people “back in line”
e.g. short silence in conversations following norm-violating statements
- by gossiping about fellow members if they violate a group norm
2. private acceptance: it’s right and proper, so I do it
- most norms are already privately accepted
- acting in line is not an unpleasant obligation, but a way of maintaining shared reality
Norms for Mastery and Connectedness
two powerful norms that guide behavior facilitate the goals of mastery and connectedness are the
norm of reciprocity and the norm of social commitment
norm of reciprocity norm of reciprocity
- even after paying back a favor, a situation in which no further people are obligated to return to others
need for reciprocation seem warranted, people are likely to the goods, services, and concessions
agree to another request they offer to us
- door-in the-face technique activates the norm of reciprocity
under three conditions door-in-the-face technique
I. initial is large enough to be refused but not so large that the influencer makes an initial request
it will breed suspicion so large that it will be rejected, and
II. target has the chance to compromise by refusing the follows with a smaller request that
looks like a concession, making it more
initial request and complying with the second request
likely that the other person will
III. second request must be related to the first request and concede in turn
come from the same person
norm of social commitment
- ninety-five percent of the people who agreed to watch the
norm of social commitment
radio tried to stop the thief
people are required to honor their
- social contracts ensure that group members play their part when agreements and obligations
coordinated behavior is required to achieve goals
- low-ball technique low-ball technique
the influencer secures agreement with
a request but then increases the cost of
honoring the commitment
The Norm of Obedience: Submitting to Authority
Milgram’s experiment
- participants acted as “teachers” to deliver electric shocks to a “learner”
→ 65% of the participants delivered shocks all the way to the 450-volt level
- obedience to authority can occur regardless of participant, culture, setting, or time
