Study: One Bad Apple Can Trigger Mass Rule-Breaking — SkimNews
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- Dr Lucas Molleman and colleagues conducted an online experiment with 750 U.S. participants showing that witnessing others' rule-breaking, particularly flagrant violations, led individuals to greatly increase their own rule-breaking, sometimes exceeding what they observed.
- Participants in the study initially showed high levels of rule-breaking, with 23% selecting the square offering the highest reward despite being instructed to pick the most intensely lit square.
- Participants were more influenced by rule-breakers who shared their political affiliation, with the study finding stronger behavioral mimicry among politically aligned individuals.
- The research team used computer simulations to demonstrate that a small number of individuals escalating rule violations could cause widespread, uncontrolled breakdown of compliance within a group.
- Prof Stephen Reicher noted the study’s limitations, including its abstract design and lack of penalties for rule-breaking, questioning its direct applicability to real-world scenarios like riots or corruption.
Why it matters: The findings challenge the idea that rule-breaking spreads through simple contagion, showing instead that influence depends on social identity—meaning efforts to curb misconduct must consider group dynamics. A third of participants resisted pressure, suggesting norms can be preserved by consistent rule-followers.
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