ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces Humanistic Rational Choice Theory (HRCT), an interdisciplinary behavioral theory of cooperation and compliance, to explain several fundamental questions about compliance illustrated by the case studies in this book. For example, why do self-interested stakeholders voluntarily comply, self-regulate, and cooperate to solve shared compliance problems? Why do regulatory systems backfire? According to HRCT, individuals comply when governance systems satisfy their fundamental needs, creating a sense of legitimacy and acceptance. However, as demonstrated by the case studies, legitimacy perceptions are subjective, being influenced by individual beliefs (mental models); group relations (e.g., prejudice); and broader social, cultural, and ecological context. HRCT provides a model of the individual decision maker that accounts for this subjectivity in compliance situations spanning multiple scales and domains.
