Center for Social Norms and Behavioral Dynamics Launches

Penn Arts & Sciences recently announced the launch of a center that will advance research and the development of theoretical tools on social norms, along with practical applications in the form of interventions intended to impact specific behaviors. The newly formed Center for Social Norms and Behavioral Dynamics, led by Cristina Bicchieri, Sascha Jane Patterson Harvie Professor of Social Thought and Comparative Ethics, uses a data-driven approach to understand cultural and systemic behaviors and design meaningful interventions.

“In these rapidly changing times, a sophisticated understanding of large-scale social dynamics is essential to navigating them confidently,” says Bicchieri. “The center is presently studying the impact of COVID-19 on norms and behaviors around the world, from Latin America to Europe, China, and South Korea. The lessons we learn will enable communities and governments to better respond to the coming, significant societal changes.”

The center has three distinct wings. The Behavioral Lab (BeLab), the research wing of the center, conducts theoretical and experimental research on social norms, heuristics and biases, cooperation, corruption, leadership, and the dynamics of social change. The Penn Social Norms Group (PennSoNG), the applied wing of the center, provides advisory services to groups seeking to foster behavioral change at the community, national, or international levels. The center also provides consulting services to international development agencies and governments to design interventions to sustainably shift collective behaviors.

The center is affiliated with the Master of Behavioral and Decision Sciences (MBDS) program. Created by Bicchieri and offered through the College of Liberal and Professional Studies, MBDS looks to equip students with theoretical and practical tools to address a variety of real-life problems. In collaboration with UNICEF, the center also offers a two-part series called Social Norms, Social Change. This program, available through the online learning platform Coursera, enables participants across the globe to learn about social norms and their connection to a range of practices and behaviors.

Steven J. Fluharty, Dean and Thomas S. Gates, Jr. Professor of Psychology, Pharmacology, and Neuroscience, says, “Cristina Bicchieri’s renowned work and much-valued insight on social norms and human behavior makes her an ideal leader for the center. With its approach to research, advising, and education, the center is a key partner in Penn Arts & Sciences’ commitment to being a resource for our local and global communities.”