{"id":2873,"date":"2022-09-26T12:58:48","date_gmt":"2022-09-26T10:58:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/icanbeme.space\/?p=2873"},"modified":"2023-02-02T17:50:52","modified_gmt":"2023-02-02T16:50:52","slug":"science-decision-making-episode-1-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/icanbeme.space\/index.php\/2022\/09\/26\/science-decision-making-episode-1-1\/","title":{"rendered":"The Science of Human Behaviour: Decision Making \u2013 Episode 1.1"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Rational Choice Theory:<\/strong> Institutional Norms<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Norms \u2026 We can all sort of imagine what is meant by that. Rules, which define how we are expected to behave in certain situations; whether within our relationships, school, the work environment or at a public space. In most cases (tens of thousands times daily<\/a>!), we do not question them and follow those rules without paying attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what the heck are \u201cinstitutional\u201d norms or \u201cinstitutions\u201d? In terms of Rational Choice Theory (RCT)<\/a>[1]<\/sup>, institutions are expectations on the compliance with certain rules, which claim binding validity. In other words, institutions encompass rules and norms with respect to how we ought to behave in a certain situation and environment.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Source: www.callcentrehelper.com\/images\/stories\/2015\/03\/rule-signs-760.jpg<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

There are 3 forms of institutions<\/em><\/strong>: norms or rules<\/em>, roles <\/em>and social scripts<\/em>. Roles and scripts contain norms, but also open slots for improvisation. When it comes to roles think of your role as a sibling, friend, child, parent, partner, the role in your job, the role when you are a customer, etc. All these roles come with the expectation that we follow certain (implicit) rules, norms, attain certain goals and improvise at times. Some roles are more pre-defined than others, some we can shape, to some we need to adapt. Scripts are already mentioned in the previous episode<\/a>. These are routines in our subconscious about how to deal with certain situations; such as ordering a coffee in a caf\u00e9, switching on the coffee machine first thing in the morning or driving a car. Scripts are based on our socialization within our society (including our up-bringing) and past experiences which reinforced\/ adapted a particular script. Most of our 35000 daily decisions and actions are based on roles and their related scripts. And most of the times we comply with the rules and norms at play \u2013 whether this is traffic rules, fulfillment of our job role, or showing normative behaviour in a social setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sounds a bit like we are all robots, stupidly following the scripts that were \u201cprogrammed\u201d into us by our social environment? Not quite \u2026 We are always free to choose against acting in accordance with an institutional norm. Then why do we mostly comply with rules and role expectations? Well, it turns out that in most cases, compliant behaviour<\/em> is the *rational<\/a>* thing to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 3 functions of institutional norms<\/strong><\/u><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

This is because institutions are not there to turn us all into marionettes, following some grand scheme of somebody in power, but they do actually have 3 important functions (Fig. 1<\/strong><\/a>) which make all of our lives simpler:<\/p>\n\n\n\n