Role of social disorder-related environmental cues as signals in modulating social learning, norm non-compliance and collective decisions in human societies.

IMITATION; HUMAN behavior; SOCIAL evolution; OBSERVATIONAL learning; SOCIAL norms

Observational learning and social norms are important in the functioning of human societies. This article attempts to understand human behavioural response to disorder-related cues such as litter, graffiti, etc. by integrating information from disparate areas, including group behaviour, communication, social norms and behavioural imitation. Signals obtained from disorder-related cues and social learning appear to be involved in modulating human behavioural response to observed social norms in a society. It is suggested here that signals indicating orderly and appropriate behaviours may stimulate the same in observers, gradually resulting in the spread of orderly behaviour and compliance of rules in general, in a society.