campusreview . com . au industry & research they are talking , and less likely to take other people ’ s perspectives into account .
“ One study in the US looked at cars at pedestrian crossings , and found that people in expensive , high-status cars were less likely to stop for pedestrians than people in cheaper , lower-status cars .”
However , more recent research has debunked the theory that there is a relationship between high income and resistance to mask-wearing mandates , mainly because “ the wealthy are compliant with mask-wearing out of self-interest , because masks keep them safe ”.
So , why do people break the rules from a psychological perspective ? “ Rather than high status , then , recent research suggests that it is psychological reactance – described as the motivation to regain a freedom after it has been lost or threatened – that explains some people ’ s refusal to follow mask-wearing rules ,” Case explains .
In plain terms , people don ’ t like being told or ordered what to do , Case says , especially when it can restrict their freedoms . And when one considers the number of rules that have been in place in lockdown-affected jurisdictions – including being unable to visit friends and travel , in some cases – “ a small proportion of people get very upset ”.
And , according to Case , psychological reactance is something everyone experiences to some extent .
“ If someone gives you an order , tells you what you should be doing , even a friend giving forceful advice , it can get our backs up ,” he states . In the pandemic , Case asserts that psychological reactance can be attributed to the intentional breaking of rules among some people .
A concerning aspect of this process of psychological reactance for Case is that , when it takes hold , “ it can result in rationalisations such as , masks are ineffective , vaccination is pointless , or COVID is a conspiracy ”.
Also , groundless arguments and conspiracies undermine the importance of COVID restrictions and simultaneously “ increase hostility about having to follow them ”.
So , how do we counter psychological reactance and get the rule-breakers on board ? One of the issues Case sees in making rule breakers more compliant , particularly in the case of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases , is that visual signs are not always immediately apparent or appear serious . Seeing is not believing for a minority of the population .
“ So , for authorities dealing with rulebreakers who don ’ t perceive COVID as a threat , it is important to provide vivid evidence of the threat ( e . g ., bedside testimonials from those who have been hospitalised with COVID ) to keep it real ,” the Macquarie University experts says .
“ Reducing psychological reactance , then , is about not antagonising people with threats to their freedom . A better idea is to frame the message around COVID restrictions in terms of personal choice .
“ For example , a message like , ‘ I choose to protect myself and my family ’ with a picture of someone wearing a mask , makes it clear that COVID is a threat to you and those you care about , but that you have the power to do something about it . Then thank them for choosing that option .”
The criminologist ’ s perspective People commit crime , or break the law , for six reasons according to Vincent Hurley , associate lecturer in the department of security studies and criminology at Macquarie University .
These six reasons include anger , lust , revenge , greed , ego and excitement . “ Those are motives ,” Hurley says . Hurley also states that people “ don ’ t comply with the law because they make the rational choice not to ”.
“ They think their criminal act is worth the risk to themselves and the consequences for society – and they will break the law because of their previous experience with it ; if they feel that the police have treated them unfairly , they will see it as an opportunity to rebel , to pay back .
On the other hand , the criminologist asserts that restrictions surrounding public demonstrations are driven not by anger , but another key emotion .
“ I think most do it for ego , and see it as an opportunity to rebel against the system : ‘ I don ’ t give a stuff what they say ; I will show them you can ’ t impose these rules on me .’
“ You can see anger being the motivation for a demonstration against the lack of action on climate change , where you see a greater groundswell or extent of purpose across the community .
It is the right response to give the police a greater footprint in society during this once-in-our-lifetime crisis .
“ The anger is felt , it has a different intrinsic trigger within individuals , so we would protest in anger against the government ’ s inaction , and it would be in greater numbers than a demonstration where the motivation is ego .”
Hurley contends that rule breakers , who comprise a very small portion of society , are tapping into their ego when they ’ re saying , “ the state can ’ t tell me what to do ”. This is a key point in Hurley ’ s treatise : the particular issue ( lockdown restrictions , mask-wearing and COVID-19 ) are not the real issues .
As she states : “ COVID is just the justification ; and that justification could be that they don ’ t like pink teddy bears .”
The vast majority of people comply with the COVID rules because they believe it to be legally and morally correct to do so , Hurley says .
Hurley adds that there are always going to be doubters and conspiracy theorists within communities , “ who for whatever reason are never going to comply with the law … they see it as acceptable ”.
And while the criminologist believes that policing “ recalcitrant ” parts of the community who have not and will not comply with a law is not a major issue now , she is significantly concerned about how the denialists ’ actions are going to result in “ massive consequences on health and the health system ”.
“ Interestingly , going back centuries to ancient Athens , it was the role of the ‘ police ’ to keep the city in good health and condition – they policed health rather than the population ; the word ‘ police ’ comes from the ancient Greek word ‘ polis ’, which translates into city ,” Hurley says .
“ It is the right response to give the police a greater footprint in society during this once-in-our-lifetime crisis in order to protect health and safety for the greater good . Police are holding people to account for their intentional actions , in a social context where it is very difficult for citizens to hold each other to account .” ■
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