ABSTRACT
How would you describe the person sitting on a towel, in her swimsuit, reading in a computer lab where classes are regularly held? How would you view this college student if you encountered her in the same position outside, as in the photo on the right? This is the same person, dressed the same way, engaging in the same behavior. Yet, how we evaluate this individual depends on the social setting she is in. Outside, this student appears normal. In the computer lab, the student in the picture is likely to be regarded by others as deviant (i.e., outside of the norm) because she is wearing inappropriate classroom attire and acting in a way that is unusual in this setting.
