Relations with the social environment as a driving force for the law-abiding behavior of young people: cross-cultural research experience

Abstract

Introduction. Understanding the grounds of the law-abiding behavior of young people is a socially significant, but poorly studied research domain. Knowledge of the psychological causes of law-abiding behavior is important for the implementation of preventive work with deviant youth and the socialization of the younger generation. Contemporary scientific ideas do not have sufficient information about the role of the entire system of relations of the subject with the social environment for the motivation of law-abiding behavior, focusing on the study of the role of its specific participants - family members, relatives, friends and colleagues. The study is focused on the relations with the social environment as a motive for law-abiding behavior. For this purpose, the study performs a cross-cultural assessment of these relationships in Chinese and Russian youth samples. Methodology, methods and techniques. The methodological basis of the study is the social network approach to the social environment studies. This approach makes it possible to describe the social environment as a quasi-social group, the basis (center) of which is the subject, while the rest of the participants are connected to the subject through social and psychological relations. Application of this approach reveals the significance of the social environment as a motive for law-abiding behavior, showing the effect of relations with the social environment on delinquent behavior readiness. Cross-cultural studies represent the research strategy. Information collecting method is a questionnaire analyzing the social relations and the motives of law-abiding behavior, as well as a standardized self-report measuring the subjective interaction features. Results processing method: descriptive statistics, non-parametric alternative to one-way analysis of variance - Kruskal-Wallis H-test. Survey sample: 100 people, consisted of Russian (50 people) and Chinese (50 people) students, of the similar age and gender. Results: the social environment features have been determined affecting law-abiding behavior and making up motivation: (1) Social environment parameters (volume, homogeneity, interaction difficulties) within the average (standard) values do not affect the law-abiding behavior of young people; (2) Self-assessment of interaction with the social environment enhances the motivation for law-abiding behavior for Russian youth; (3) Social support from individuals in the social environment enhances the motivation for law-abiding behavior in the Russian and Chinese sampling; (4) The system of motives for law-abiding behavior can be represented as emotional, social, personal and rational motives developed under the social environment influence. Scientific Novelty. The data obtained expand the understanding of the motivating role of relationships with the social environment, showing that the help and support of others, as well as self-assessment of interaction with the social environment, enhances the law-abiding behavior motivation. Practical Significance. The represented classification of the motives of law-abiding behavior can be applied to develop procedures for measuring and evaluating the readiness of young people to comply with legal standards.