Law and norms: empirical evidence
A large theoretical literature argues laws exert a causal effect on norms. This paper is the first to provide a clean empirical test of the proposition. Using an incentivized vignette experiment, we directly measure social norms relating to actions subject to legal thresholds. Results from three sam...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Monograph |
| Language: | English |
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University of Nottingham Ningbo China
2019
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/59263/ |
| _version_ | 1848799603210584064 |
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| author | Lane, Tom Nosenzo, Daniele |
| author_facet | Lane, Tom Nosenzo, Daniele |
| author_sort | Lane, Tom |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | A large theoretical literature argues laws exert a causal effect on norms. This paper is the first to provide a clean empirical test of the proposition. Using an incentivized vignette experiment, we directly measure social norms relating to actions subject to legal thresholds. Results from three samples with around 800 subjects drawn from universities in the UK and China, and the UK general population, show laws often, but not always, influence norms. The strength of the effect varies across different scenarios, with some evidence that it is more powerful when law-breaking is more likely to be intentional and accurately measurable. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T20:38:17Z |
| format | Monograph |
| id | nottingham-59263 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T20:38:17Z |
| publishDate | 2019 |
| publisher | University of Nottingham Ningbo China |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-592632019-10-17T03:43:17Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/59263/ Law and norms: empirical evidence Lane, Tom Nosenzo, Daniele A large theoretical literature argues laws exert a causal effect on norms. This paper is the first to provide a clean empirical test of the proposition. Using an incentivized vignette experiment, we directly measure social norms relating to actions subject to legal thresholds. Results from three samples with around 800 subjects drawn from universities in the UK and China, and the UK general population, show laws often, but not always, influence norms. The strength of the effect varies across different scenarios, with some evidence that it is more powerful when law-breaking is more likely to be intentional and accurately measurable. University of Nottingham Ningbo China 2019-09-09 Monograph NonPeerReviewed application/pdf en https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/59263/1/Revised.pdf Lane, Tom and Nosenzo, Daniele (2019) Law and norms: empirical evidence. Working Paper. University of Nottingham Ningbo China. (Unpublished) Social Norms; Law; Expressive Function of Law |
| spellingShingle | Social Norms; Law; Expressive Function of Law Lane, Tom Nosenzo, Daniele Law and norms: empirical evidence |
| title | Law and norms: empirical evidence |
| title_full | Law and norms: empirical evidence |
| title_fullStr | Law and norms: empirical evidence |
| title_full_unstemmed | Law and norms: empirical evidence |
| title_short | Law and norms: empirical evidence |
| title_sort | law and norms: empirical evidence |
| topic | Social Norms; Law; Expressive Function of Law |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/59263/ |