Comfort Zones

Everyone knows a stickler for the rules, and probably some scofflaws, too. But how tightly social norms are adhered to varies at more than the individual level. A theory developed by University of Maryland psychologist Michele Gelfand and colleagues posits that groups, regions, and entire nations can be sorted on a spectrum from “tight” to “loose,” depending on how strongly their members value sticking to rules and norms. Though it’s just one way of assessing cultures, it could have implications for nationwide trends and individual well-being.

Creative Measures

The U.S. has grown noticeably more tolerant over time. Researchers sought to gauge changes in tightness and looseness empirically by measuring the frequency of certain “tight” words (such as forbid and compel) and “loose” words (freedom and create) in published books. American culture appeared to loosen from 1800 to 2000, they found, with ups and downs along the way. Tighter periods were linked to measures of societal order—fewer teen pregnancies, less debt, and greater school attendance—but also higher crime rates (possibly, they speculate, due to greater enforcement). Looser times saw increases in markers of national creativity, including patent applications and films.

Tight Spots

How does tightness-looseness impact those who cross cultures? Research from Psychological Science examined how 889 exchange students fared as they traveled to and from 23 countries. Researchers found that students traveling from tighter cultures tended to adapt more easily than did those traveling from looser cultures; those traveling to tighter cultures struggled more to navigate new norms. “Culture is omnipresent and all around us, even though it’s invisible,” Gelfand says. “There can be backlash when cultures collide.” Yet individual personalities also made a difference: Students with higher agreeableness and humility adapted to tight places just as well as those who visited loose locales.

Loose Leaders

No matter how dearly societies value rules, violations still occur. How does culture affect how violators are perceived? In a third study, more than 2,300 participants in 19 countries reacted to a vignette in which someone either followed or strayed from established workplace norms. In tighter cultures those who followed norms tended to be seen as better potential leaders. Past research on this effect was done in the looser U.S., Gelfand says, where rule-breakers are seen as powerful. “But norm violations aren’t automatically celebrated across the world.”