Helweg-Larsen, Marie, and Barbara L. LoMonaco. Queuing Among U2 Fans: Reactions to Social Norm Violations. Journal of Applied Social Psychology 38, no. 9 (2008): 2378-2393. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2008.00396.x/full

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Two experiments examined reactions to line-intrusion scenarios among fans of the rock group U2 waiting in overnight lines to obtain desirable concert floor spots. Commitment to the goal, time investment, and ambiguity of the line-intrusion scenario were examined. Results showed that the queue is a social system influenced by norms of procedural justice (first-come, first-served). Violations of these norms were upsetting, even when the consequences did not directly influence personal outcomes (when line intrusions occurred behind a subject). Greater commitment to the goal led to more severe reactions to norm violations, whether the commitment was proximal (having waited in the line for awhile) or distal (being a committed fan). We discuss research on social norm violations.

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