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Running Head:Violating the Social Norm !1

!!!! Violating the Social Norm

Maribelle Young

National University

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Violating the Social Norm

! As a person that tries to blend in with the social norm rather than stand out, this

assignment was particularly nerve racking and out of my comfort zone.Through the assignment,

I did notice that in certain situations it felt easier to be rude and crowd. I chose something that

tends to bother me and get on my nerves. This actually got me thinking of how my reactions are,

and what it takes to get a retain from myself. I did not want to do this at the local grocery store,

Which i have known some of the employees. I chose to do this at a few different stores and

found out that the locations may have had an influence in the reactions i received.

The first person was at Ralphs store located near my work in Burbank, Ca. The woman

who i got behind was a middle aged woman, she was well dressed and groomed. She looked as if

she had just got off from work and stopped to get a few things. I had just grabbed a few things

myself, so there was nothing between us. She faced forward so in the awkwardness on not

wanting myself bumping into her butt; I acted as if I was reaching past her towards a magazine

while kind of brushing against her. Although I should feel her look on my way and almost seen

her frustration as she repositioned herself, but she did not say anything to me. She almost acted

as if I did not notice, so she should not either. I felt completely rude, My normal would have

been to say excuse me or not even bother with the magazine. I think because I was in my medical

uniform and I felt even worse.

The second person, I encountered at a CVS store a few miles from my home. I went to the

one that was in neighborhood where it is not as nice or well off. The first I was there, I was

wearing my medical scrubs uniform and looked professional, but at this time, it was first thing in

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the morning, I was still in pajamas and just ran to the store without much preparation, hair

thrown up with no make up on. The woman I got behind was an older woman, I would guess

early 60’s. As I was standing behind her, I had my sunglasses on and for some reason, I felt it

was a little easier to be rude or crowd her space. Possibly it had to do with the eye contact not

being a factor. As I got in her too close for comfort space, she turned around to make me aware,

she felt me as she proceeded to check out, and I still crowded her space. She was paying with her

debit card, and when it came time to swipe her card, she made sure to rudely bump me out of the

way, turning her back to me as if i was not there. It was like she moved her body, so I was forced

to back up. I also thought to myself how it was interesting, she made sure to protect her pin

number from me. It made me think of how the first impression leads us to judge someone based

on their looks (Myers & Dewall, 2014).

I feel that the sweatpants and sweater with the messy hair and carelessness had her thinking,

I was less trustworthy then, when I was perceived as a medical professional.

In the third time, I was in Macy’s and had picked up some clothes for my son, and I had

went to the men’s department to look at some stuff for my father and decided to check out on the

same department. The man who was in front of me was in his mid- 30’s, nicely dressed. We are

both holding the items in our hands, it was on a weekend and the line had a few people in it. I felt

very odd brushing up against him, so I crowded him with the clothes I was holding. I stood close

and as the clothes went against his back, he turned around and gave me a smile. So we moved up

a few steps and I did it again, this time with no response. So I guess I crowded him a little more

where it became uncomfortable and he turned around, I thought to say something but instead

smiled again. At this point I just did not feel comfortable crowding him anymore. I almost felt as

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though, he thought I was hitting on him, or trying to get his attention and he looked at my son’s

clothes as thought I was in the wrong area, maybe he thought I had pompously placed myself

behind him trying to be noticed.

On the last crowding at the store, I went into a Food for less to do my weekly grocery

shopping. When getting in the long line, I got behind a woman she had a few children with her.

She was loudly yelling at the children and they seemed to not care. She was raggedly dressed and

the children looked the same. As the children were unloading her basket, she was behind it in the

position to push it. I went to the front of my cart to load my stuff, onto the check out counter

when doing so, continuously bumped into her, she had moved up a little but by the third time she

turned around to make a snarling grunting noise. I may have been feeling extra rude due to my

perception of her behaviors and being slightly annoyed by her children. I continued unpacking

and bumped into her once again. At this point she mentioned something to one of her older

children regarding me being in a rush and not giving her room. I almost wanted to crowd her

again just to see the reaction, but I thought I had gone far enough. I did find it interesting how

she would say something regarding me, but not to me. It was one of those I know you can hear

me but i do not have the courage to say anything directly to the person.

Overall, I felt this was a great one to have student step outside their comfort zone, and see

reactions first hand. I think it would be interesting to see what other students chose to do and

their reactions. I also noticed the location or type of people and how you are perceived have a big

influence on people’s reaction to you and their overall standard courtesy. Although I would love

to see the reactions of people when doing more extreme things. I do not know if I would have the

courage to sing on the bus.

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References

! Myers, David, and Nathan Dewall. Psychology In Everyday Life. New York: Worth, 2014.

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