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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Luca Panzone
This is the authors' accepted manuscript of an article that has been published in its final definitive form by University of Chicago Press, 2019.
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The internalization of law is said to be a process that involves a change in people’s intrinsic motivation to act in accord with law’s obligations – so that it is possible to observe imposed obligations become individual choices. We empirically test for this phenomenon, by attempting to disentangle the impacts of a legal change (a 5 pence charge on use of plastic bags) on intrinsic motivation and individual choice. We do so by measuring both behaviors and attitudes before and after the legal change, and by comparing the impacts across neighboring jurisdictions without the change. Using a differences-in-differences estimator we find evidence for the internalization of law: that is, we find a significant increase in intrinsic motivation for using fewer new bags for those consumers subject to the implementation of the legislative change, and link this change in intrinsic motivation to an actual change in behavior. However, using mediation analysis we find that internalization of the law only explains around 5 to 7% of the change in behavior – the rest being attributable to the direct effect of the charge.
Author(s): Larcom ST, Panzone L, Swanson T
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Journal of Legal Studies
Year: 2019
Volume: 48
Issue: 1
Pages: 217-244
Print publication date: 11/01/2019
Online publication date: 11/01/2019
Acceptance date: 11/01/2019
Date deposited: 19/06/2019
ISSN (print): 0047-2530
ISSN (electronic): 1537-5366
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
URL: https://doi.org/10.1086/699817
DOI: 10.1086/699817
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