Part 3 of the TED Radio Hour episode The hidden forces shaping your choices.
Social norms vary dramatically from one culture to another — but why? Psychologist Michele Gelfand unpacks why societies and individuals develop either tight or loose attitudes toward rules.
About Michele Gelfand
Michele Gelfand is a professor of organizational behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and professor of psychology by courtesy at Stanford University. She is the author of Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World.
Web Resources
Related TED Talk: Can prejudice ever be a good thing?
Related TED Topic: Psychology
Related TED Talk: Is parenting advice leading to more anxious kids?
Related NPR Links
Life Kit: 4 habits of highly effective communicators
Life Kit: Build your chosen family
Life Kit: Parents are people, just like you. Here's how to have an adult relationship with them
Copyright 2025 NPR
