Us and Them: On the Motivational Force of Formal and Informal Lockdown Rules

How do social norms and legal requirements combine to shape collective behaviour? A multi-wave ten-city panel study set during the first UK lockdown finds that compliance was a powerful in-group signalling device, driven by expressive coordinating power of formal informal rules. COVID-19 pandemic laws allowed Government operate as an agent, telling people what needed be done why. Acting upon mutual expectations for common good then helped coordinate against virus with sense shared fate identity. Widespread police continue privilege engagement, explanation encouragement over heavy-handed enforcement tactics damage their popular legitimacy.