Socioanalytic Socioanalytic Theory of Robert Hogan Critical to Hogan's theory is the role of rule systems , which are an explicit expression of the morality or values of a social group.
Hogan views all purposive social behavior as occurring within the context of rule systems.
A defining characteristic of a social rule system is its ethic , e.g., respect or equity. Hogan thinks that both the similarities and differences between people can be explained in terms of their relationship to systems of rules. Similarities between people are a product of the rules that have been adopted by the groups within which they have common membership. Differences are a product of each individual's understanding and application of a group's rules. Rule systems represent an adaptive response to evolutionary pressures that compel a social group to create a value system and related behavioral guidelines for its members that ensure that functional responses to the demands of a particular environment will be made.