The 'must behaviors' that indicate that an individual must abstain from certain acts are referred to as what?

• A. Taboos
• B. Norms
• C. Mores
• D. Laws

Answer: (A)

Taboos are strong prohibitions within a culture about certain acts that people are expected to abstain from. They’re more than casual rules; violating a taboo often carries strong social or religious stigma because the act is seen as sacred or deeply wrong. That sense of needing to refrain—“you must not do this”—is what makes taboos fit the description of “must behaviors.”

Norms are general expectations for behavior, but not all violations are treated as severe as taboos. Mores have moral weight and can invite sanctions, yet they’re not universal prohibitions in the same way taboos are. Laws are formal, codified rules enforced by authorities with legal penalties. So the term that best captures the idea of absolute abstention from certain acts within a culture is taboos.