ABSTRACT
Behavioral prescriptions are ubiquitous in the realm of human affairs. Even an isolated individual—a Robinson Crusoe—is almost certain to develop rules for himself; following certain rules will improve his chances of surviving and of enjoying a reasonably pleasant existence. In social systems, behavioral prescriptions typically emerge to regulate problems stemming from the interactions of individual actors. Even in relatively primitive societies, individuals will be dependent upon each other for some necessities of life, and the self-interested activities of individuals will frequently impinge upon the welfare or happiness of others. The standard method of managing the resultant problems is to introduce behavioral prescriptions in the form of rules, laws, moral precepts, and social norms. As a society becomes more highly developed, both the extensiveness and the importance of its behavioral prescriptions will increase markedly. 1 This is so because the level of interdependence among the members of a social system and the unintended effects of their actions on others rise rapidly as a function of development.
