In the fields of sociology and social psychology, a breaching experiment is an experiment that seeks to examine people's reactions to violations of commonly accepted social rules or norms.

Breaching experiments are practical thought experiments, or practical jokes, depending on one’s perspective, in which a person deliberately violates a social rule in order to reveal how other people …

Jun 10, 2024 · Breaching experiments are a fascinating area of social psychology that examines how we react when social norms are violated. These experiments often challenge our understanding of …

Dec 25, 2025 · Breaching experiments, rooted in ethomethodology and influenced by Harold Garfinkel, aim to explore human reactions to violations of accepted social rules. When participating, conduct …

Developed by sociologist Harold Garfinkel as part of ethnomethodology. People actively avoid sitting near strangers unless absolutely necessary. Social norms allow us to navigate crowded spaces with …

Feb 19, 2001 · Ethnomethodologist Harold Garfinkle pioneered the use of what he called “breaching experiments” designed to break the rules of unstated social rôles as a way of studying them.

Are they crazy or just breaching the norm of dinner conversation? A breaching experiment goes outside our ideas of social norms specifically to see how people will react to the violation of...

Sep 25, 2025 · What is now known as breaching experiments was initially developed by Garfinkel (1963, 187) to demonstrate the principles of ethnomethodology. They were pedagogical tools used to …

Learn more about the definition of a breaching experiment and the steps in conducting one through examples.

The idea of a breaching experiment was developed by Erving Garfinkel as a way to show his students how they had socialised certain norms about their behaviour without realising it.