Norms: Why The Brain Follows The Rules

Words Bank: To Give Definition and Example
Norms are general expected behaviors in the society. In general, people perceive norms as appropriateness and individuals’ code of conduct in all social situations. For an example of a classroom scenario: Benjamin wants to share his opinion to the class. First, he will raise-up his hand. Then, he will wait until his teacher gives him the permission to speak. Finally, he begins to speak after the teacher called his name. In short, an individual will follow the norms to gain others’ acceptance in his or her society. Why the Brain Follows the Rules
Deviance is a behavior that is different from the norms. An action against the norms is known as deviant behavior, it aims to disagree, disapprove and confront the societal norms. Accordingly, deviance can be defined differently depending on the time, place, culture and society. The public often

On one hand, it rewards individuals who follow and do well in the expected behavior-positive sanction. On the other hand, negative sanction punishes people who disobey the society expected rules. Furthermore, formal sanction is the official conformity and punishment for an individual. For an example of formal sanction for negative and positive deviance: Alice receives a speeding fine from the Highway Patrol for driving 110 miles per hour at 101 freeways today. During the same day, she also receives a job promotion and bonus from her company for continuously making of 1.5 million dollars’ sale more than the given target in three-year period. However, informal sanction rewards and punishes individuals unofficially. If the informal sanction applies to Alice’s case, then she will be only receiving a very angry verbal warning for speeding from the Highway Patrol and a verbal compliment such as good job from her boss for her outstanding performance in the