A Social Norm Experiment - 738 Words

The social norm experiment that I performed consisted of me violating a social norm and observing people’s reactions for doing so. I did something that is deemed â€Å"not normal,† based off from societal standards. The norm I broke was an interesting one. Instead of respecting strangers’ personal space, I invaded their space. I stood in front of them as close as I could possibly get, without touching them. I choose to break this social norm because of how I am with people. Strangers or friends, it does not matter, I do not like when people stand close to me. I feel as if they are invading my personal space. When people stand too close to me, I tense up and feel very uncomfortable. In my eyes, this social norm is necessary, especially for people who are similar to me and need to have their distance from others. My experiment consisted of me asking strangers, on the streets of Downtown Grand Rapids, for directions to Rosa Park’s Circle, and invading their personal space. To start, I would approach a stranger; tell them that I am lost, and that I am in need of directions to the Rosa Park’s Circle. As strangers began giving directions to me, I inched closer and closer to them. In addition to invading their personal space, I also held intense eye contact with them, trying my best not to blink. The whole time, although it was difficult, I kept a straight face while I performed my experiment. To make sure that I gathered enough information, and a variety of results, I tested myShow MoreRelatedSocial Norm Experiment1671 Words   |  7 PagesIn our society, there are many social norms we are expected to abide by. These unwritten rules and standards of behavior often go unnoticed, leaving society to take them for granted. We only become truly aware of the norms of society when they are actually violated. When a violation occurs, those who continue to conform may respond with positive or negative sanctions, such as humor, alarm, irri tation, fear, or a wide variety of emotions. Our society also relies on language as its major bases forRead MoreBreaching Social Norm Experiment922 Words   |  4 PagesFor my breaching social norm experiment I was determined to do something I would never do even if it was a dare, especially since my ability to interact with strangers is not the best. So, I decided to make people feel uncomfortable by holding their hand. What I would do is walk up to the person from behind and slowly make my way to their hand to make them feel even more uncomfortable. People normally hold hands with their significant other, or with someone they know like a friend or family memberRead MoreMy Breaching Social Norm Experiment921 Words   |  4 PagesFor my breaching social norm experiment, I was determined to do something I would never do even if it was a dare, especially since my ability to interact with strangers is not what I consider advanced. So, I decided to make people feel uncomfortable by holding their hand. What I would do is walk up t o the person from behind and slowly make my way to their hand to make them feel even more uncomfortable. People normally hold hands with their significant other, or with someone they know, like a friendRead MoreEssay Experiment on Reactions to Breaking Social Norms995 Words   |  4 PagesIn order for you to continue to stay accepted in the current social society you live in today you must follow a certain set of social norms throughout your life, most of the time you do without even realizing it. As well as be followed social norms are broken everyday all around you on all sorts of different levels some harmless and some more serious and punishable such as stealing. Since I have moved out to Santa Barbara and have been experiencing life here now in school and outside of class I haveRead MoreBreaking The Social Norm By Bradley Wright1208 Words   |  5 PagesBreaking the Social Norm Bradley Wright (2009) defines a social as, â€Å"behavioral expectations that a social group holds for its individuals. Basically, a social norm tells you what you’re supposed to do in any given situation.† The social norm creates a unique culture for each individual social group. However, breaking the social norms, even in the most minute of ways, can cause some backlash and some awkward situations. As proof of this, I performed an experiment where I broke a small social norm, and notedRead MoreTypes Of Norms : Descriptive Norms1501 Words   |  7 Pagesyears in social psychology that there exists a group behaviour that emerges when individuals are placed in a group. The social norms are the rules and standards of a certain group, which dictate how its members are expected to behave. It is possible to distinguish between 2 types of norms: descriptive norms, which inform us as to how others act in similar situations, and injunctive norms, which specifically indicate h ow an individual should behave. The individual will tend to conform to the norms of theRead MoreBreaking Social Norms Essay1304 Words   |  6 Pages10/13/12 Breaking Social Norms In our society we have a number of norms that we abide by. For example, there is an unwritten rule of how one should behave in an elevator. It is â€Å"proper† to face front, stand away from strangers, and not to look at others. When a social norm is broken people may respond with alarm, humour, fear, irritation, or an array of other emotions. When you think of a norm, you are probably thinking about simply being normal. But in psychology terms, norm means a standard orRead MoreSocial Norms : The Right Side Of The Road1698 Words   |  7 PagesUsually, when you get these looks, you are breaking some sort of social norm. Social norms are rules of behavior that are considered acceptable in a society during certain situations, but breaking the social norms can be highly frowned upon in the social world we live in today. Certain social norms that are universally known include driving on the right side of the road, keeping a pinky promise and living by the golden rule. Social norm s can keep a community together and running smoothly if used, butRead MoreThese Differing Responses Can Be Explained Via Sociological1662 Words   |  7 Pagesthe norm violator, their traditional opinion of where it is appropriate to have a picnic, and their views of whether or not they feel it is appropriate to acknowledge my norm violation as a positive or negative form of social deviance. A sociologist would relate and explain differing responses by highlighting the how an individual’s sexual orientation, personal religious beliefs, culture, lifestyle, worldview or gender identity influence their individual thoughts and responses to the social environmentRead MoreRules Of Society s Society865 Words   |  4 Pagessanction and norms. Culture is a society’s beliefs and knowledge that expresses their behavior and attitudes. The importance of culture is that it shows the different characteristics of the societies. A society’s culture shows its individual unique characteristic compared to other societies. Sanction is any form of punishment varying from formal punishments such as law to informal punishments. Sanction is important to maintain the harmony in the societies and maintains an equal balance. Norms are the