Measuring Norm Pluralism and Tolerance

This study introduces the Norm-Drawing Task, a novel approach to measure pluralism, or the coexistence of multiple normative beliefs in a given situation. By combining established methods, we identify heterogeneous normative beliefs in well-known economic games, challenging the typical assumption of a single prevailing norm. Moreover, we are able to link norm multiplicity to actual behavior. In a well-powered and pre-registered experiment, we observe that participants holding multiple normative beliefs are more tolerant and punish norm violations less frequently and less severely than those with a singular normative belief. This pattern suggests that norm multiplicity can lead to more lenient enforcement: pluralism and tolerance seem to co-exist. The implications of our study are broad, indicating that societal structures and policy decisions could be influenced by the underlying multiplicity of norms. Moreover, the Norm-Drawing Task, for which we provide a ready-made software implementation, offers a new avenue for exploring important societal issues like pluralistic ignorance and the dynamics of polarization.