A First Look at Social Norms

Have you ever walked into a room and immediately sensed how you were expected to behave?

Maybe everyone was speaking quietly, so you lowered your voice without thinking. Perhaps you entered a lecture theatre and noticed that most people were sitting in the same general area, leaving certain seats empty.

Nobody needed to explain what to do. You simply picked up on what everyone else was doing.

I've started noticing these little moments more since studying psychology, particularly when exploring social psychology and the ways people influence one another.

One concept that helps explain these everyday experiences is social norms.

What exactly are social norms?

Social norms are the shared expectations, behaviours and unwritten rules that influence how people act within a particular group or society.

They help us understand what is considered appropriate, acceptable or typical in different situations.

For example:

• Saying thank you when someone does something kind.
• Waiting in line rather than pushing ahead.
• Keeping your voice down in a library.
• Dressing appropriately for a particular occasion.
• Greeting someone when you first meet them.

Interestingly, many of these expectations are never formally explained. We learn them through observation, experience and interactions with other people.

Descriptive and injunctive norms

Something I found particularly interesting when learning about social norms is that they can operate in slightly different ways.

Two important types are descriptive norms and injunctive norms.

Descriptive norms refer to what people commonly do in a particular situation.

For example, if everyone in a university lecture takes notes during class, you might assume that taking notes is the usual thing to do.

Injunctive norms, on the other hand, refer to what people believe is socially approved or disapproved.

For example, students might believe that arriving on time is the respectful thing to do, even if some people regularly arrive late.

The distinction is interesting because something can be common without necessarily being considered acceptable.

Why do we follow social norms?

One reason social norms are so influential is our desire to belong.

Humans are social beings, and relationships and group membership can play an important role in our everyday lives.

Sometimes we follow social expectations because we genuinely believe they are appropriate. Other times, we might do so because we want to avoid standing out or being judged.

This connects to a psychological concept called conformity.

Conformity occurs when people adjust their behaviour, attitudes or beliefs in response to real or perceived group pressure.

A simple university example might be choosing to participate in a group activity because everyone else is doing it, even though you initially feel unsure.

It doesn't necessarily mean you're being forced. Sometimes, the influence of the group is subtle enough that you barely recognise it.

The positive and negative sides of social norms

I think it's important to recognise that social norms aren't automatically good or bad.

They can help create order, cooperation and a sense of belonging. Without shared expectations, everyday interactions could become confusing and unpredictable.

However, norms can also create pressure to behave in ways that don't necessarily reflect our individual beliefs or preferences.

For example, someone might feel uncomfortable expressing a different opinion because they are worried about how their friendship group will respond.

This raises an interesting question: are we behaving a certain way because we genuinely want to, or because we believe that is what everyone expects from us?

A little reflection

Since learning about social norms, I've become more aware of how many small decisions are influenced by the people around us.

From the way we dress and communicate to how we behave in university classes, social expectations are present in more situations than we might initially realise.

What I find most interesting is that these rules don't always need to be spoken.

Sometimes, simply observing what other people do is enough to influence our own behaviour.

Perhaps becoming more aware of social norms allows us to better understand not only the groups we belong to, but also the choices we make as individuals.

Because sometimes, the most influential rules are the ones nobody actually says out loud.

Written from the perspective of an undergraduate psychology student. This post explores introductory psychological concepts for educational purposes.