Norms

What are social norms?

Social norms concern shared expectations about behavior in a group or situation. It is useful to distinguish what people commonly do from what they approve of. These can point in different directions.

Looking for the comparison groups used to interpret test scores? See test norms and percentiles. This entry concerns social norms.

Cialdini, Reno, and Kallgren (1990) distinguish descriptive norms—what people commonly do—from injunctive norms—what people believe others approve or disapprove of. They examine how attention to these norms affects littering. What people see others doing and what they believe others approve of can carry different messages.

A rule against littering can coexist with visible litter. Formal rules, observed conduct, and perceived approval are separate facts. Specify the group, behavior, and expectation rather than assume that everyone shares the same norm or follows it.