Social Psychology WK 5 - Social norms

Social norms

Unspoken rules and collective behaviours which help us know what we should or shouldn’t do (prescriptive/proscriptive)

Can affect wellbeing if socially excluded, resulting in pain

They are NOT:

• Instinctive/biological responses

• Personal traits

• Personal tastes

• Moral behaviours

Injunctive norm

The perception of what other people think should be done

Descriptive norm

The perception of what other people actually do

Subjective norm

The perception of what other people expect us to do

Informational Social Influence

Conforming to others when we want to know the answer

• Especially in ambiguous situations or when the other person in an expert

• Leads to private acceptance (genuinely believing the answer/belief)

Sherif’s (1953) Autokinetic effect - Participants were placed in a dark room and were asked to find the static dot which apparently ‘moved’ (a visual illusion where the dot appears to move even though it does not) - the illusion made participants uncertain how far it was actually moving

• When grouped together, participants communicated agreed on a location (although this varied among each group)

  • Even after months, they still believed their response (private acceptance)

Normative Social Influence

Conforming to others’ behaviours/beliefs despite not internally believing it themselves

• Conforming to be liked

• Public acceptance

Asch’s (1957) Line study showed that when shown an obviously wrong answer, 76% of participants conformed to the group’s incorrect response at least once

• 24% did not conform at all

• % carried on up to 10-12 times

• Shows conformity despite not believing the answer to avoid public embarrassment

Private acceptance

Internally conforming and believing others’ beliefs

Result of Informational Social Influence

Public acceptance

Conforming to others’ beliefs despite not agreeing with it

Usually to be liked/not be an outgroup

Normative Social Influence

Sherif vs Asch

Sherif (1953):

• Ambiguous

• Conformity

• Private acceptance

Asch (1957):

• Unambiguous

• Conformity

  • Public acceptance

Obedience

A social norm which dictates we obey legitimate authority figures

Needed to maintain chaos and prevent antisocial behaviour

Still occurs in the absence of authority figures (e.g. traffic lights)

Reciprocity

Returning kind behaviour

Co-operative

Harmful norms

• Encouraging unhealthy behaviour (smoking, drinking)

• Harmful practices (child marriage, female genital mutilation)

• Discriminatory practices (genocide, chaste norms)

Violation of social norms

• Social offence (rude behaviour)

• Social mores (immoral behaviour)

• Taboos (e.g. sexual practices)

• Breaking laws (murder, assault)