THE POWER OF SOCIAL NORMS

The Power of Social Norms

The importance of social norms

These are the rules, which the group uses for appropriate and inappropriate values, beliefs, attitudes and behavior (Hechter Dieter 2005). These rules may be explicit or implicit.

In our society we have a number of social norms that we adhere to. For example, there is an unwritten rule about how to behave in an elevator. When a social norm is violated people may react with anxiety, humor, fear, annoyance, or a host of other emotions.

Failure to adhere to the rules can result in severe penalties, the worst of ...