To understand the question why people obey or break rules, different approaches have focused on different theories and subsets of variables. The present research develops a cross-theoretical approach that integrates these perspectives. We apply this in a survey of compliance with COVID-19 pandemic mitigation rules in Israel. The data reveal that compliance in this setting was shaped by a combination of variables originating from legitimacy, capacity, and opportunity theories (but not rational choice or social theories). This demonstrates the importance of moving beyond narrow theoretical perspectives of compliance, to a cross-theoretical understanding-in which different theoretical approaches are systematically integrated.
Keywords: COVID-19; Israel; capacity to comply; compliance; compliance theory; deterrence; impulsivity; legitimacy; lockdown; mitigation measures; negative emotions; obligation to obey the law; opportunity to violate; procedural justice; public health; punishment; rational choice theory; social distancing; social norms; stay-at-home measures; strain theory; trust in science.
© The Author(s) 2022.