Signaling Norms

Abstract:

Signaling norms are social norms, the adherence to which by agent A changes or reinforces agent B’s beliefs about agent A’s belonging and commitment to a social group (Przepiorka & Diekmann, 2021). Signaling norms is a concept that constitutes a novel step in the development of both the theory of social norms and signaling theory. While cooperation or coordination norms emerge due to a demand for reducing externalities of individual behavior (e.g., smoking, congested escalators), signaling norms emerge due to a demand for reducing uncertainties regarding individuals’ belonging and commitment to social groups. The concept thus offers a new way to formalize processes of boundary making in intergroup relations and provides alternative explanations for occurrences such as table manners, dress codes, religious badges, jargon, and sense of humor. After introducing the concept of signaling norms, I will review insights from three domains of its application: religion, class, ethnicity (Przepiorka, 2025). I will then present results from an agent-based computational model showing how and when intergroup conflict can promote the emergence of signaling norms (Macanovic et al., 2024).
 
Macanovic, A., Tsvetkova, M., Przepiorka, W., & Buskens, V. (2024). Signals of belonging: Emergence of signalling norms as facilitators of trust and parochial cooperation. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 379, 20230029. doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2023.0029 
 
Przepiorka, W. (2025). Applications of Signaling Theory in Sociological Scholarship. Annual Review of Sociology, 51, forthcoming. doi.org/10.1146/annurev-soc-090524-044242 
 
Przepiorka, W., & Diekmann, A. (2021). Parochial cooperation and the emergence of signalling norms. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 376, 20200294. doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2020.0294