External social control involves sanctions that may be applied informally and formally. Which option best describes this?

• A. Only informal sanctions
• B. Only formal sanctions
• C. No sanctions
• D. Both informal sanctions and formal agents like law enforcers

Answer: (D)

External social control works by enforcing norms from outside the individual through sanctions that can be informal or formal. Informal sanctions are the everyday reactions we see in social life—disapproval, gossip, praise, or parentally guided influence. Formal sanctions come from official systems—laws enforced by police, courts, and penalties like fines or imprisonment. Because this type of control encompasses both kinds of responses, the description that includes both informal sanctions and formal agents like law enforcers best captures how external social control operates. If you imagine relying on only one type, you’d miss how society also uses official norms and legal mechanisms to regulate behavior.