Social Norms

The All-New American Family

Marian Salzman | Posted 04.30.2012

Marian Salzman

The American family's structure is no longer a perfect slice of apple pie. We've got nests that are no longer empty as jobless millennials move back in with mom and dad and redefine our latest obsession with what it means to be "occupied."

Subtle Reason Creepy People Give Us Chills

| Daniel Strain | Posted 04.24.2012

From the moment he steps onscreen in the 1960 thriller Psycho, Norman Bates gives audiences the goosebumps. The hotel manager-turned-serial killer j...

Bring Back the Busy Signal

Jeff Jarvis | Posted 03.13.2012

Jeff Jarvis

Email and communication are badly broken and the solution isn't so much new technology as new norms. We need to redefine "rude."

The Science of Seinfeld

Sam Sommers | Posted 02.11.2012

Sam Sommers

Far from a "show about nothing," Seinfeld was actually an analysis of the ins and outs of daily human interaction-of the mundane social experiences previously not deemed worthy of exploration in front of a mass audience.

Lifting the Veil of Secrecy: Stopping Sexual Abuse in Sports and Every Institution

Larry_Cohen | Posted 02.05.2012

Larry_Cohen

It's not just colleges, or sports, or the Catholic Church. To make sure that parents and children are not afraid, we need to reconsider and reconfigure the norms in every institution that they participate in.

'Tis the Season to Notice Situations

Sam Sommers | Posted 01.30.2012

Sam Sommers

While we tend to view ourselves and others around us in terms of predictably consistent personality types, time and time again behavioral science demonstrates that how we think and what we do varies dramatically by simple situational considerations like where we are.

Cause Marketing That Moves

Andrea Learned | Posted 02.21.2012

Andrea Learned

Given how many societal and environmental ills there are to worry about today, it's exciting to think that the creative collaboration could inspire attitude adjustments that might just lead to longer term behavioral shifts.

Unmasking Halloween and the Power of Anonymity

Sam Sommers | Posted 12.29.2011

Sam Sommers

While there may be a variety of reasons why Halloween has come to be a time of pranks, mischief, and even more serious forms of misbehavior, disguise certainly plays a major role.

It's Not the XX Factor -- It's the Relationship That Matters

Ellen Galinsky | Posted 11.26.2011

Ellen Galinsky

From the long view, the debates over proper gender roles in families fade. It is our relationships that matter.

Easing Sustainability "In-" and "Out-Group" Conflict

Andrea Learned | Posted 05.25.2011

Andrea Learned

What if a sustainability-minded person is in the in-group, and a less convinced citizen/consumer is in the out-group? It can seem that ne'er the twain shall meet. What could they possibly have in common?

Privacy and the Trigger Effect: A Swift Kick In...

Christina Gagnier | Posted 05.25.2011

Christina Gagnier

The privacy conversation has devolved to a continual return to the idea that people no longer care about it and the new social norm is, I suppose by d...

Can Famous People Be Normal? Yes ... If We Let Them

Lisa Haisha | Posted 11.17.2011

Lisa Haisha

Fame can happen to anyone -- actors, musicians, politicians, corporate CEOs and even the mom next door (with the right reality show to help). But is fame all it's cracked up to be?

Is Striving to Conform Still the Norm?

Jayne Lyn Stahl | Posted 11.17.2011

Jayne Lyn Stahl

As a country, we are pregnant with the lowest common denominator. We now view adaptability as virtue, and the desire to radically transform oneself and the world as insanity.

RSVP, RIP

Anna Jane Grossman | Posted 11.17.2011

Anna Jane Grossman

The funny thing is that it is so ridiculously easy to reply to invitations these days. Whether you are using Facebook, Twitter, eVite, email or text, you can pretty much reply with just a few finger movements.

Why We 'Play Nice' With Strangers

LiveScience | Posted 11.17.2011

This pro-social behavior results from a change in social norms that allowed us to trust strangers, a new study suggests. That change is likely linked ...