A social norm is anything that people just do, with no real adaptive reason other than social recognition or relief from peer pressure/judgement.

So things like wearing your cloths inside out, wearing a sandal on one foot and a tennis shoe on the other, wearing sunglasses indoors, Greet people with a formal "Sir" and "Lady" in front of their names.

Basically anything that you can't come up with a good reason that people don't do.

Wrongspeedy

United States1655 Posts

May 10 2012 04:44 GMT

#42

Hug everyone who talks to you.

StarStruck

25339 Posts

May 10 2012 04:53 GMT

#43

On May 10 2012 13:35 killa_robot wrote:
Wear your headphones and sing out loud in public (obviously try not to pick songs that are inappriopriate in public).

Also the mentally handicap already do what the poster above me suggested, so they'll just think you're retarded.

Talking really loud? How about whispering into everyone's ear? The other ones still work though.

Come to think of it. Wouldn't you expect many people to give you the what the fuck look in either case or smile?

Antimatterz

United States1010 Posts

May 10 2012 04:55 GMT

#44

Actually I really like the talking to everyone you meet one. When you walk down the street you should just shake everyone's hand while looking them straight in the eye and compliment them or something, that would have some interesting reactions.

StarStruck

25339 Posts

May 10 2012 04:56 GMT

#45

I agree Antimatterz. Shake their hand and compliment them on everything. Keep the conversation going until they stop shaking your hand or some other mark.

It's incredibly fun.

n.DieJokes

United States3443 Posts

May 10 2012 05:00 GMT

#46

On May 10 2012 08:16 Spekulatius wrote:

Show nested quote +

That's insanely ~~clever~~ unoriginal.

I think that's what you meant. This question and that answer have been around longer than I've been alive

Leave both hands down your pants while you hang out in lecture

StarStruck

25339 Posts

May 10 2012 05:19 GMT

#47

Ha.

How about everytime you talk you hold both of your hands right in the air?

Oh, I love that one. :D

Liquid`Jinro

Sweden33719 Posts

May 10 2012 05:32 GMT

#48

Already do this too.

Abstinence

United States328 Posts

May 10 2012 05:33 GMT

#49

Skip everywhere.

Or, if you're a guy, go to the bathroom with your friends and take pictures in the mirror. Public bathrooms.

Digitalis

United States1043 Posts

May 10 2012 06:52 GMT

#50

When you enter an elevator keep looking straight instead of turning around, more people adds to the awkwardness, try to do it with some friends. I recently had to do this for Sociology class

Synwave

United States2803 Posts

May 10 2012 06:59 GMT

#51

Brush your teeth at a bus stop.
I imagine you will get some incredibly odd looks.
It isn't really a social taboo and yet I imagine the breaking of a simple social norm like that would invoke the reactions your looking to study.

MusicalPulse

United States162 Posts

May 10 2012 07:07 GMT

#52

On May 10 2012 08:24 PassionFruit wrote:

Show nested quote +

Tell your classmates, friends, family, and teacher that you're not doing the assignment. Record how they react. Turn it in.

Get an A.

This is genius.

Emperor_Earth

United States824 Posts

May 10 2012 07:25 GMT

#53

Pick up women, try to have sex on first date... Oh wait
Demand to post up if small or play pt/shoot 3s if big playing bball at local Y
shake hands with left hand
Ask for food to be made before you pay at fast food.
If urinals open, wait in line behind one in use
Stand just inside normal bubble/comfort zone. Keep that distance as they back off
answer phones with silence
When someone talks to you, write back your replies on pen and paper. Ask for a pen and paper first in voice after tbeir first words.
ask questions with down inflection pitch, statements made in up inflection in pitch.
sign your name upside down (turn paper around)

Couple ideas to get you started on the spirit of the assignment

Attican

Denmark531 Posts

May 10 2012 08:18 GMT

#54

Dance everywhere for a day and don't stop for anything, I did that once for about 4 hours because I was really drunk. People were pretty confused so this seems like something thats definitely breaking a social norm.

Whitewing

United States7483 Posts

May 10 2012 09:02 GMT

#55

Ask random strangers if they'll help you with your 'rash problem'.

Recognizable

Netherlands1552 Posts

May 10 2012 09:09 GMT

#56

On May 10 2012 08:14 PassionFruit wrote:
Don't do the assignment.

Oh my, this is perfect.

Velr

Switzerland10687 Posts

May 10 2012 09:11 GMT

#57

Order a glass of Milk with your food at a restaurant.

Diamond

United States10796 Posts

May 10 2012 09:24 GMT

#58

Get a set of crazy gaming headphones that if you turn up everyone in the room can hear, something like this.

Put it on in class and turn on Rebecca Black's "Friday" and crank that shit.

Pretend to enjoy it.

Or the don't do the assignment one, that's pretty badass too.

rrwrwx

United States247 Posts

May 10 2012 11:05 GMT

#59

Hug everyone you interact with. Don't go out of your way like climbing over a cashier station to hug the cashier, but anyone that is within a reasonable hugging distance, when you finish talking to them, give them a hug and a pat on the back.

AmericanUmlaut

Germany2577 Posts

May 10 2012 16:17 GMT

#60

This is a very old idea for psych classes. The professor I learned Japanese from got his PhD at UC Santa Barbara in the 70s and he had exactly the same assignment.

He fulfilled it by swimming very slowly in the fast lane at the university pool. There was a gay couple in his class who held hands everywhere they went for a week.

I would suggest just standing slightly too close to people when you're talking to them. You don't realize how much the proper distance to stand from someone is ingrained in us until you spend time with people from cultures with a different standard, and spend all your time subconsciously jockeying for position.