台大心理系

Although conformity to social norms is one of the most fundamental aspects of human psychology, how it is judged varies greatly across cultures. Following norms is considered less positive in individualistic cultures than in collectivistic cultures. As classic studies of social psychology emerged from more individualistic cultures, psychological understanding of norm responses often reflects an individualistic cultural perspective. In this talk, I will present studies that examine cultural differences in how people respond to social norms regarding a wide range of issues (e.g., hiring, consumer choice, and reaching life milestones) and identify underlying pro-social reasons for following social norms, reflecting a collectivistic perspective.  In so doing, I aim to highlight the value of taking different cultural perspectives in understanding psychological processes.