Definition

Social norms are people’s beliefs about the attitudes and behaviors that are normal, acceptable, or even expected in a particular social context. In many situations, people’s perceptions of these norms will greatly influence their behavior. When people misperceive the norms of their peer group—that is when they inaccurately think an attitude or behavior is more (or less) common than is actually the case-they may choose to engage in behaviors that are in sync with those false norms (2).

With regard to LGBT people, most people misperceive their peers’ attitudes-that is they think that their peers are less accepting of LGBT people than they actually are. This misperception leads many people to avoid behaving as an ally to LGBT people when they might act otherwise if they had the correct perception of their peers’ attitudes. In some cases, these misperceived attitudes might even lead individuals to internalize prejudices against LGBT people and/or behave in discriminatory ways that they perceive as the norm.

Pluralistic Ignorance is the term that is used in academia to discuss Social Norms Theory and refers to the incorrect belief that one’s private attitudes, judgments or behavior are different from others. In a study of 240 undergraduate dormitory residents, researchers found that students’ personal attitudes toward LGB people were significantly more positive than the attitudes they perceived their friends and typical students to hold, and that increased exposure to LGB students did not moderate this perception (3). "If the students’ perceptions of peers’ and friends’ negative attitudes persist," conclude the researchers, "regardless of level of interpersonal contact, cognitive dissonance theory would predict that they might change their behavior to be consistent with their beliefs, thus exacerbating the often hostile climate for LGB students."