DP15119 How Laws Affect the Perception of Norms: Empirical Evidence from the Lockdown

• Roberto Galbiati Emeric Henry Nicolas Jacquemet Max Lobeck
1 Aug 2020

Laws not only affect behavior due to changes in material payoffs, but they may also change the
perception individuals have of societal norms, either by shifting them directly or by providing
information on these norms. Using detailed daily survey data and exploiting the introduction
of lockdown measures in the UK in the context of the COVID-19 health crisis, we provide
causal evidence that the law drastically changed the perception of the norms regarding social
distancing behaviors. We show this effect of laws on perceived norms is mostly driven by an
informational channel.