On the Emergence of Descriptive Norms

A descriptive norm is a behavioral rule that individuals follow when their empirical expectations of others following the same rule are met. We aim to provide an account of the emergence of descriptive norms by first looking at a simple case, that of the standing ovation. We examine the structure of a standing ovation, and show it can be generalized to describe the emergence of a wide range of descriptive norms. Descriptive norms hide in plain sight. While we may not always think of them, they govern many of our day to day interactions: they help guide our fashion choices, our table manners, the colors we wear at weddings, and any number of other small features of our social interactions. This governance can become evident when we travel: many of our small-scale behaviors and interactions are culturally contingent. Americans typically greet each other with handshakes. Many continental Europeans greet each other with kisses to the cheek – but the number varies between countries. Standards for personal space vary across cultures. It would be difficult to argue that any one of these practices is ‘right’ – descriptive norms do not carry the normative weight of social or moral norms – but we all follow the norms from our own cultural context, and imitate the behavior of our peers. While this may provide a satisfactory account of how descriptive norms operate, it does not tell us about how they came to be. What is it about a given norm that caused everyone to start following it? To begin to answer this question, we will turn to a simple case, that of the standing ovation. Standing ovations, like many other descriptive norms, are the result of spontaneous coordination of individual choices across many individuals. They have become a common practice after many live performances, even though there is no pre-arranged plan or even any formal coordination. All individuals can do is decide whether or not they wish to stand, based on their own preferences, and what they see others doing around them (Miller and Page 2004). Put slightly more formally, most agents have preferences about whether or not they like to stand up, which depend on the quality of the concert. They