Which term refers to the means or ways to condition or limit actions to make people conform to social norms?

• A. Deviance
• B. Social Control
• C. Internal Social Control
• D. External Social Control

Answer: (B)

Conformity to social norms is guided by social control, the set of means and processes that condition and limit actions to keep behavior in line with expected rules. This includes formal mechanisms like laws, policing, courts, and institutional rules, as well as informal ones like praise, shaming, and peer pressure. External social control relies on outside sanctions and rewards to shape behavior, while internal social control comes from internalized norms and conscience. Deviance describes behavior that violates norms, not the process of enforcing them. Since social control covers both outside pressures and internalized expectations, it’s the best term for the idea of conditioning people to conform.