Which of the following behaviors are examples of informal social control?

• A. A school principal suspending a student for cheating
• B. A group of friends teasing someone for breaking a minor social norm
• C. A police officer issuing a fine for jaywalking
• D. A judge sentencing someone to community service

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of informal social control: it refers to the ways in which society regulates behavior through unofficial, non-institutional means such as peer pressure, teasing, or social approval and disapproval.
2. Identify the examples given and classify them as either formal or informal social control. Formal social control involves official actions by authorized agents like police, judges, or school principals.
3. Analyze the behavior of a school principal suspending a student for cheating. Since this is an official disciplinary action by an authority figure within an institution, it is an example of formal social control.
4. Consider the behavior of a group of friends teasing someone for breaking a minor social norm. This is an unofficial, peer-based reaction without formal authority, fitting the definition of informal social control.
5. Review the remaining options: a police officer issuing a fine and a judge sentencing community service are both formal social controls because they involve legal or institutional authority enforcing rules.