6.1 Social Influence and Social Norms

6.1 Social Influence

  • Definition

    • Social influence occurs when other people—whether they are actually present or just imagined—affect how we think, feel, or act. It can range from small, everyday imitation to large-scale persuasion or pressure to act in line with others. (APA, n.d.-b)

  • Levels of social influence (Herbert Kelman, 1958)

    • Compliance

    • External agreement with others without changing personal beliefs

    • Example: A teen cleans his room because his parents told him to, even if he believes the task is pointless

    • Internalization

    • Beliefs actually change to align with others’ influence

    • Example: After watching a powerful documentary on animal cruelty, you come to truly believe in animal rights and become vegan

    • Identification

    • Beliefs are adopted to fit in with a group you want to belong to; not deeply held by you

    • Once you leave the group, old beliefs can return

    • Common in cults or some religious groups

  • Context: Social influence and social norms

    • Social influence can operate through adherence to unwritten rules that guide behavior in social contexts

    • The concept of social norms underpins many everyday interactions and expectations

Social Norms

  • Definition

    • Most of our behavior is guided by unwritten social rules known as social norms, which are ideas about what is normal or acceptable in different situations. (APA, n.d.-c)

  • Explicit vs. implicit norms

    • Explicit norms

    • Clearly stated expectations (e.g., being on time for a meeting)

    • Implicit norms

    • Unwritten but expected behaviors (e.g., waiting your turn in line at a store)

    • Breaking norms can lead to social penalty cues such as dirty looks or being told off, indicating norms influence behavior even without formal rules

  • Types of norms (Cialdini, Reno, & Kallgren, 1990)

    • Injunctive norms (prescriptive norms)

    • What people should do; what is socially approved

    • Example: You should not litter because it is the right thing to do

    • Descriptive norms

    • What people actually do; common behavior in practice

    • Example: Even if people shouldn’t litter, you may still see many doing it in public spaces

    • Overlap and mismatch

    • Sometimes both norms align (e.g., holding a door open is both an expected behavior (injunctive) and something most people actually do (descriptive))

    • Other times, the should (injunctive) and the actual behavior (descriptive) do not align

  • Functions of norms

    • Norms help us know how to behave in different situations, making social life easier and more predictable

    • They provide a basis for calling out or correcting others when rules are broken, helping to maintain social order

  • Relevance and implications

    • Understanding norms clarifies why people act in certain ways in public and professional settings

    • Norms can guide interventions, policy design, and social change efforts

    • The existence of both injunctive and descriptive norms highlights potential tensions between what people think should be done and what people actually do

  • References to sources

    • Kelman, H. (1958). Three levels of social influence (compliance, internalization, identification)

    • Cialdini, R., Reno, R., & Kallgren, C. (1990). Descriptive and injunctive norms in social behavior

    • APA (American Psychological Association) references for definitions of social influence and social norms (n.d.-b, n.d.-c)

  • Key takeaways

    • Social influence operates on multiple levels and can shape outward behavior without changing inner beliefs (compliance) or transform beliefs (internalization) or align with group membership (identification)

    • Social norms, both explicit and implicit, govern everyday conduct and can be prescriptive or descriptive in nature

    • Norms act as social brakes and guides, reducing ambiguity while also enabling social enforcement when norms are violated

Note: The material references Klman (1958) for levels of influence and Cialdini et al. (1990) for norm types, with APA sources noting definitions of social influence and norms.