What Are Social Norms For?

Whether as representations inhabiting individual minds, or as propositions codified in classic texts, norms play important roles in social life. But of the many social threats and opportunities humans face, which are norms most about? In seven studies, people rated norms on how relevant they are for achieving goals in eleven fundamental domains of social life. Across well-known sets of norms in the U.S. (Ten Commandments, Hippocratic Oath, and Scout Law), and free-listed personally important norms in U.S., Korea, and Mexico, we found that people think norms are most closely linked to group-related goals—such as affiliating with a group, avoiding social exclusion, and gaining status within a group. Our findings were robust across the societies examined and to the substantial reprioritization of goals brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings highlight the importance of norms to the unique human capacity of living and thriving in large societies.