PsyBlog has an interesting post Conformity: Ten Timeless Influencers. It sums up various consumer behavior research referring to what can make people act in the same way as others do, or what can make them refrain from following the example of others. I strongly believe that such a consumer behavior research can and should be used by legal scholars in order to evaulate the effectiveness of certain consumer laws and regulations.
One example from the post:
Other people affect us even when they're not present. Whether or not we recycle, litter the street or evade tax often comes down to our perception of society's view. Most of us are strongly influenced by thinking about how others would behave in the same situation we are in, especially when we are unsure how to act (Cialdini, 2001).
