Rules for Breaking Formal Rules: Social Representations and Everyday Rule-Governed Behavior

Abstract

In this study, we explored the usefulness of the concept of social representations developed in European social psychology for studying beliefs about when certain rule-breaking behaviors are considered justified. The relationship between formal rules and human conduct is traditionally studied from an individualistic perspective; however, we argue that more attention must be paid to the socially shared nature of knowledge and understanding. This approach is illustrated by the idea of rules for breaking legal rules. Empirically, we investigated under what conditions law students in the Netherlands found it acceptable to run a red traffic light and to evade taxes. The results suggest that there are socially shared beliefs and understandings about when it is considered acceptable to break specific rules.