Would you flirt at a funeral, kiss in a restaurant, or cry in a job interview? Study reveals the most inappropriate behaviours in common social situations

Whether it's a wedding or a fitness class, most social situations come with a set of unwritten rules about what behaviour is appropriate.

However, as anyone who has encountered a 'headphone dodger' will know, these rules often vary from person to person. 

Now, scientists have surveyed over 25,000 people around the world to uncover the most common social norms across 10 situations. 

This includes the behaviours we deem suitable in funerals, job interviews, parties, and at work. 

'This study uncovers a global grammar of everyday norms,' explained the Mälardalen University researchers.

'We find striking similarities in what people around the world frown upon, with norms varying far more across situations than across societies.'

So, would you flirt at a funeral, cry at a job interview, or sing in a busy restaurant? 

Scroll down to see how your social norms stack up. 

From abortion to homosexuality, several previous studies have analysed how views towards contentious issues vary around the world. 

However, until now, there has been little research on the social norms in more mundane situations. 

Writing in their study, published in Communications Psychology, the researchers, led by Kimmo Eriksson, explained: 'This focus on mundane situations aligns with an emerging trend in moral psychology to move beyond classic moral dilemmas and study the more common conflicts people face in their daily lives.'

To get to the bottom of it, the researchers recruited 25,422 participants across 90 societies around the world. 

The participants were asked about their views on the appropriateness of 15 behaviours across 10 common situations. 

The behaviours were: argue, laugh, curse, kiss, cry, sing, talk, flirt, listen to headphones, read newspaper, bargain, eat, rest, shout in anger, and use a mobile phone. 

Meanwhile, the situations were: a funeral, in the library, at the workplace, in a job interview, in a restaurant, in a public park, on a city sidewalk, on a bus, at the movies, and at a party.

The results revealed 'extremely high' cross–cultural agreement on which behaviours are acceptable in these situations. 

In a job interview, the only behaviour deemed appropriate was talking, while crying was the only option seen as suitable at a funeral. 

In a library, participants said it was inappropriate to shout, sing, or argue. 

And musical fans will be disappointed to hear that singing was also frowned upon in the cinema – along with arguing and shouting. 

At work, eating and talking were seen as the most acceptable behaviours, while cursing and kissing were deemd inappropriate by most. 

On the bus, most participants said it was fine to talk, use your mobile phone, read a newspaper, listen on headphones, and rest. 

Over in a busy restaurant, meanwhile, participants said it would be inappropriate to shout or curse. 

'It is generally agreed that kissing in a job interview elicits concerns about vulgarity, that laughing out loud in the library elicits concerns about inconsiderateness, and that reading the newspaper at the movies elicits concerns about lacking sense,' the researchers added. 

The researchers hope the findings will highlight how social norms vary around the world, and over time.

'Everyday norms are not static,' they concluded. 

'They appear to be changing in consistent ways globally, suggesting a shared trajectory of cultural evolution.

'Our findings provide insights into the interplay of human universals and cultural differences that shape social life across the globe.'