Social norms: What functions do they serve?

Norms convey meaningful, culturally relative information about appropriate and inappropriate conduct and act as a community’s behavioural guidelines. Norms may be positive or negative, and they have the power to create social change. Social norms have diverse functions that range from promoting law and order to establishing consensus. The primary aim of this article is to discuss the various functions of social norms and emphasise their social influence and importance in social change. Additionally, this article will identify and evaluate the key strengths and limitations of psychological research in the field of social norms. The following strengths and limitations are discussed in more detail: sample size, demand characteristics, and sample bias. The overall data suggest that social norms have several key functions: establishing consensus, inducing social harmony, a source as social heuristics, and as drivers of social change. However, it is necessary to carefully evaluate each piece of research before concluding the significance of psychological findings.