22. Fare dodgers and black sheep:
when model behavior backires
A good example encourages good behavior, and a bad example, unfortunately, encourages
bad behavior, as we have seen. However, these truths do not always apply; the opposite can
also happen. Let us begin with a study that shows that model behavior by one person can lead
to bad behavior by another.
For a change of scene, this study by Paul Webley and Claire Siviter looks at the behavior of dog
walkers.The researchers hid in park woods and observed whether people cleaned up properly
after their dogs. Leaving dog poop was explicitly prohibited in all study locations. After the
dog and owner had continued their walk, one of the researchers approached them and asked
the owner to participate in a study on the pros and cons of owning a dog. Filling in the survey
would only take a few minutes. The survey included a few questions on the issue of whether
or not people clean up after their dog and the reasons for this, the part that the researchers
were really interested in.
Because the researchers had seen for themselves whether the participants cleaned up, they
were able to form two groups and compare these. The non-cleaners were predominantly of
the opinion that the law in this area was too strict (‘Poop is biodegradable after all’) and that
there was too little room to let dogs off the lead. They turned out to estimate the amount of
dog poop considerably lower than the group which did clean up after their dogs.
One group complying with the norm led to another group violating it. An explanation for this
is that people consider it acceptable to violate a rule if they think that everyone else complies
with it. In that case it’s not so bad, the total damage is limited. This is known as the free rider
problem: if I know that others do the right thing, then I can take liberties. This is the reason
why it is often awkward to get rid of irregularities in an organization altogether: occasionally
taking ofice stationary home can’t do any harm, as long as your colleagues don’t do it too.
Occasionally breaking an environmental law is no problem, as long as other companies in the
area behave properly. Of course it is a problem if everyone thinks this way.
22. Fare dodgers and black sheep: when model behavior backires
