Exercise 2 – Social Psychology – Non Conforming
Day of Non Conformity
Social psychologists have repeatedly demonstrated that much of our behavior is
influenced by powerful social norms. It is suggested that one way to feel the potency of
social norms is to deliberately violate them. For this assignment, I will ask you to violate
an informal social norm and then analyze both your own and other people’s reactions.
Step 1: Identify an informal social norm. Some examples include…
• Appearance (wear pink slippers, blue dot on nose)
• Interpersonal Behavior (stand too close or far, avoid eye contact)
• Social Etiquette (violate elevator norms, eat with mouth open)
Note: Be sure to do the behavior several times in different places to note any interesting
patterns (i.e. people’s reactions may differ as a function of sex, age, location etc.). To
minimize any bias in social reactions, it is best if you do not tell others about the class
assignment until after the Day of Nonconformity is over. Under no circumstances
should you behave in a way that harms others or is unethical or illegal (yes, this means
keeping your clothes on in public).
Step 2: Incorporate the following points into a 2-3 page paper in essay format
Typewritten, doubled-spaced, using 12-point font and 1" margins
• What informal social norm did you violate?
• Describe how, when and where you violated it
• Analyze your thoughts, feelings and reactions while you violated the norm
• How did others respond to your nonconformity?
• What, if any, consequences (formal or informal) did you experience for violating this
norm?
• Did you gain any insight into your own or others’ behavior?
• In your opinion, why is adhering to this particular norm important? Why?
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