Abstract
Exploring the joint dynamics of laws and social norms helps understand when social norms are sticky or adaptive. Using the example of the social and physical distancing measures introduced to contain the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, we studied whether introducing, and then lifting, distancing regulations led individuals to quickly change their habits, not only by modifying the monetary incentives of rule violators but also by shifting the individuals’ perception of the appropriateness of social encounters. We conducted an online incentivized experiment in France, where we elicited the same participants’ perceived norm and social distancing behavior every week for three months. We find that both norm perception and behavior shifted as soon as the government introduced or removed social distancing measures. This effect was fast acting and long lasting, a result that highlights the importance of the expressive power of the law for norm formation and behavior.
Highlights
Summary In response to the pandemic of COVID-19 and in lack of pharmaceutical solutions, many countries have introduced social and physical distancing regulations to contain the transmission of the virus
These measures are effective insofar as they are able to quickly change people’s habits. This is achieved by changing the monetary incentives of rule violators and by shifting people’s perception regarding the appropriateness of socialization
This effect was fast acting and long lasting. This is informative for future interventions, especially in light of a possible COVID-19 recurrence
Summary
In response to the pandemic of COVID-19 and in lack of pharmaceutical solutions, many countries have introduced social and physical distancing regulations to contain the transmission of the virus. These measures are effective insofar as they are able to quickly change people’s habits. We studied the effect of introducing, and lifting, distancing regulations on the perceived norm regarding social encounters. We found that people shifted behavior and norm perception as soon as the government introduced or removed distancing measures. This effect was fast acting and long lasting. This is informative for future interventions, especially in light of a possible COVID-19 recurrence
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