Kentucky Social Studies Standards Practice Test

Norms are the shared expectations and rules that guide how people in a society behave and fulfill their duties. They tell us what counts as acceptable conduct in different situations, what roles we should take, and what responsibilities we owe to others. These guidelines are often informal—learned from family, peers, and culture—and are reinforced by social approval or disapproval. Norms help explain why people act similarly in comparable contexts, even when there isn’t a formal law telling them what to do.

Virtues refer to valued character traits like honesty or courage. Wants are desires or needs individuals seek to satisfy. Values are broad beliefs about what is important, such as freedom or equality, which underlie norms but are not the day-to-day rules for behavior itself.