Concepts

Social norm

A shared or perceived expectation about conduct within a group.

Definition

A social norm is a shared or perceived group expectation concerning appropriate behavior, or a perceived pattern of what members commonly do.

How to understand it

Social-norms research, such as Cialdini, Reno, and Kallgren (1990), distinguishes what people expect from what they observe others doing. A descriptive norm concerns typical behavior; an injunctive norm concerns approval or obligation. These can diverge. Norms also depend on the relevant group and setting, rather than supplying a single rule for all social life.

To identify a norm, specify whose expectations matter and what evidence supports the claim that they are shared. One person’s preference is insufficient. A written rule may communicate a norm, but observation, correction, and informal reactions may also reveal expectations. These clues should be assessed together rather than treated as interchangeable.

Evidence: (Spielman et al., 2020); (Burger, Conformity and Obedience, n.d.)

Questions during a talk

Teaching scenario

Imagine a reading group where most people wait until a speaker finishes before asking questions. A newcomer assumes that interruptions are forbidden. In fact, the group welcomes brief clarification questions but has recently discussed unusually straightforward material. The newcomer’s perception of typical conduct differs from the group’s stated approval rule. An explicit conversation could clarify the distinction. The example shows why observing a repeated behavior does not establish everything members believe should happen, and why a visitor’s inference about a norm may need checking.

Constructed for learning. This scenario is not a report of an empirical finding or a diagnosis.

Common confusion: Conformity

A norm is an expectation or perceived pattern; conformity is a person’s change toward that expectation or pattern.

Evidence: (Spielman et al., 2020); (Burger, Conformity and Obedience, n.d.)

Limits of the concept

  • Observed frequency and social approval are different forms of evidence.
  • Norms can be contested, misperceived, and different across groups.

Evidence: (Spielman et al., 2020); (Burger, Conformity and Obedience, n.d.)

Textbook connection

Direct coveragePsychology 2e: 12.2 Self-presentation

OpenStax 12.2 introduces social roles, social norms, and scripts, while the Noba module and social-norms literature (such as Cialdini, Reno, and Kallgren, 1990) distinguish descriptive from injunctive norms.

Supplementary concepts may extend beyond this section. The source notes below identify the evidence for those details.

Related concepts

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Sources and inspection notes

Checked October 21, 2026. An inspection date is not a source publication date. Definitions and scenarios on this page are original teaching explanations.

  1. Burger, conformity and obedience. (n.d.). https://nobaproject.com/modules/conformity-and-obedienceExpert-authored academic teaching module

    Conformity, informational influence, descriptive norms, and obedience coverage checked; module text discusses descriptive norms and cites Borsari and Carey (2003) on descriptive and injunctive norm distinctions developed in the social-norms literature (such as Cialdini, Reno, and Kallgren, 1990). Inspected on 21 October 2026.

  2. Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020). Psychology 2e. OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/12-2-self-presentationCourse textbook subsection

    Title, URL, and relevant subsection text inspected on 21 October 2026. OpenStax 12.2 introduces social roles, social norms, and scripts; no textbook exercises or illustrations reproduced.