A Re-Explication of Social Norms, Ten Years Later

Abstract

We revisit some ideas from our previous article on social norms by conceptualizing norms as dynamic entities that both affect and are affected by human action; elaborating on the distinction between collective and perceived norms; summarizing key findings from studies that have adopted the theory of normative social behavior (TNSB) and thereby proposing guidelines for further expanding the purview of the TNSB; discussing the attribute-centered approach as a framework for focusing on behavioral characteristics; and highlighting areas for further inquiry into social norms.