When talking about deviance, many sociologists try to answer the question: Why do they do it? Others, however, as a different question: Why dont they do it? After all, deviance can be fun! How many people do you know who have never lied, never taken something that does not belong to them, never cheated on a test? Research suggests that the majority of people would be willing to commit a deviant act if they knew they could get away with it.

Why do most people conform to social norms, or, asked a different way, why do most people infrequently violate norms?