accountability

n. Accountability is the implicit or explicit pressure to justify one’s beliefs and actions to others. Unlike most research on cognition, the accountability literature posits that individuals do not operate in a social vacuum but rather are immersed in interdependent relationships and pressures to adhere to culturally shared norms and practices. As such, accountability can be viewed as a critical norm enforcement mechanism - the social-psychological link between individuals and social systems. Failure to act in ways for which one can construct acceptable explanations will lead to varying degrees of censure and punishment. Accountability pressure is rooted in people’s fundamental need for social approval, whether as an end in itself or as a way to procure power over scarce resources. Different kinds of accountability motivate distinctive social and cognitive coping strategies. Ultimately, the benefits of accountability depend on the interpersonal and institutional goals that people are trying to achieve.  -CTT, PET