Normative social influence in psychology refers to when a person makes the choice to follow what majority is doing. This is done for the following reasons:
- To gain acceptance from others – humans need to be accepted by others
- To avoid feeling left out or ostracised – because social rejection is painful!
Making use of normative social influence is a way in which behaviour can be changed. In this case, bringing your own utensils and/or containers out when you intend to take food away should be the societal norm.
If it becomes the norm to bring your own utensils when taking food away, most people will, as not doing so would result in social rejection. For instance, they may be teased by friends, or even criticised. Ultimately, social norms help to drive behaviour, and can improve situations such as this, where change at a societal level can have a huge impact.