In behavioral research, it is largely assumed that people adapt their personal behavior to match the behavior of a reference group. A distinction is made between descriptive norms—the assumption that ...

As our unwritten social constructs change and evolve over time, as a 2024 study suggests, there's certainly expectations and social norms that no longer serve our collective well-being, but rather, ...

Loneliness is defined as “a distressing feeling that accompanies the perception that one’s social needs are not being met by the quantity or especially the quality of one’s social relationships.” ...

Social norms shift as potential beachgoers stay home. A view of the empty Santa Monica beach at sunset due to the new type of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Santa Monica, United States on March 27, 2020.

There are many norms governing our everyday social interactions. For example, in the United States, it is normative to: Allow some personal space between you and other people (often two or three feet ...

An interdisciplinary team of researchers reports on how social norms -- 'patterns of behaviors or values that depend on expectations about what others do and/or think should be done' -- can be ...