Chance locus of control predicts moral disengagement which decreases well-being

Abstract

Ancient philosophers suggested that good moral virtues lead to well-being. But this proposition has seldom been tested empirically. Based on extant literature we proposed a negative association between moral disengagement and well-being which was mediated by prosocial engagement. And chance locus of control was suggested as an antecedent of moral disengagement. We constructed a serial multiple mediation model (chance locus of control → moral disengagement → prosocial behavior → well-being) to examine the relationships among research variables. Chinese undergraduates (n = 508, aged 17–24 years) completed self-reported measures of chance locus of control, moral disengagement, prosocial behavior, hedonic well-being, spiritual well-being, and general health. Results showed that chance locus of control was predictive of moral disengagement, which in turn was associated with less positive emotion, more negative emotion, poorer spiritual well-being, and poorer general health via less prosocial engagement. These findings suggest that moral disengagement may originate from the beliefs that success or failure depends on fate or chance, and that people who tend to shirk ethical responsibility have less chance to reap well-being benefits from prosocial engagement.