Abstract:

Human groups are experts in developing and maintaining social norms. While many social norms have clear practical functions, some other norms have limited direct material consequences on the self or the group. We define such norms as symbolic norms. Symbolic norms are prevalent. Given the discrepancy between the social importance and the functional opacity of these norms, it is important to understand how a seemingly neutral behavior emerges as a symbolic norm. This article argues that a neutral behavior is more likely to evolve as a norm when it shows statistical correlation with a practically beneficial behavior on the population level, which is defined as “the norm spillover effect.” This article uses agent-based models and an empirical experiment to test this effect. First, EGT models show that the statistical correlation between a practical and a neutral behavior on the population level creates an ecology that favors the following and enforcement of the symbolic norm. Second, the empirical experiment shows that the perceived correlation between a practical and a neutral behavior increases the perceived direct function of and the pressure to conform to the symbolic norm. The two levels of analysis echo each other and support the norm spillover effect.

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