ABSTRACT

This study examines whether a stay-at-home order with penalties would be an effective measure for regulating public behavior during a pandemic lockdown, through an online experiment conducted in Japan. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, authorities around the world have taken measures to limit civil liberties by means of stay-at-home orders, with penalties for infractions. In contrast, Japan has avoided legal sanctions and sought voluntary cooperation from the public. This self-restraint request might work to deter public activity in Japan, whose society is known for conformity and social order. Nevertheless, the study found that penalties do make a difference in the intention to stay home, especially in places with high infection rates, such as Tokyo. This piece of evidence could contribute to a broader discourse on what sort of measures to take to encourage public cooperation or compliance and how to balance civil liberties and national health.

摘要

本研究通过在日本进行的在线实验，检验了带有处罚的居家令是否是在大流行封锁期间规范公众行为的有效措施。在 2020 年 COVID-19 大流行期间，世界各地的当局已采取措施，通过居家令来限制公民自由，并对违规行为进行处罚。相比之下，日本避免了法律制裁，并寻求公众的自愿合作。这种自我约束要求可能会阻止日本的公共活动，日本的社会以顺从和社会秩序着称。尽管如此，该研究发现，惩罚确实会影响留在家中的意愿，尤其是在感染率高的地方，例如东京。