Deborah Prentice

Deborah Prentice's picture
Alexander Stewart 1886 Professor of Psychology, Dean of Faculty
Princeton University
I study social norms – the unwritten rules and conventions that govern social behavior. I am interested in how people are guided by norms and constrained by norms; how they respond when they feel out of step with prevailing norms; how they determine what the norms of their groups and communities are; and how they react emotionally, cognitively, and behaviorally, to those who violate social norms. Current projects address the following: When do deviates evoke positive emotional responses and what is the nature of those responses? Do people who value independence actually behave independently? Are self-interest and concern for others conflicting motives or can they both be pursued simultaneously?

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