Simply K

People conform to what they see others doing — that’s the foundation of human social behavior.

If the social environment doesn’t punish or stigmatize spitting, littering, or noise, those acts become descriptive norms (what’s normal), not injunctive norms (what’s acceptable).

Proof:

In classic experiments, when researchers increased visible litter in an area, people littered more. When the area was clean, people self-corrected.

→ Hygiene behavior follows visible cues, not personal ethics.