Ways of controlling behaviour imposed by people without a formal role to do so (such as peers) are known as?

• A. Formal social control
• B. Primary socialisation
• C. Value consensus
• D. Informal social control

Answer: (D)

Informal social control is about how behaviour is guided by everyday interactions from people without official authority, like friends and peers. It works through peer pressure and common social expectations, using praise, gossip, ridicule, or exclusion to encourage conformity. This contrasts with formal social control, which relies on official institutions and authorities such as the police or courts. Primary socialisation refers to the early process of learning norms from family, not ongoing peer-imposed regulation, and value consensus is about shared beliefs in a society rather than the mechanisms that enforce behavior. So, the term that fits is informal social control.