Prediction of dishonest behavior using the CNI model of moral dilemma judgment: a registered report

Abstract

ABSTRACT Drawing on moral philosophy, research in moral psychology has used hypothetical sacrificial dilemmas to understand how moral judgments are made by laypeople. Although heavily influential, a frequent question raised is whether responses to hypothetical scenarios are informative about instances of morally relevant behavior. Using the CNI model to quantify sensitivity to consequences, sensitivity to moral norms, and general preference for inaction versus action in responses to sacrificial dilemmas, two preregistered studies examined whether specific factors underlying sacrificial dilemma judgments predict dishonest behavior for personal monetary gain (Study 1) and the greater good (Study 2). Testing the hypothesis that specific factors underlying sacrificial dilemma judgments are linked to other morally relevant behaviors via broader underlying moral dispositions, confirmatory tests provide strong support the predicted associations between sensitivity to moral norms and dishonest behavior. No support was found for a predicted association between sensitivity to consequences and dishonest behavior for the greater good. The findings contribute to ongoing debates about the value of individual differences in sacrificial dilemma judgments for predicting instances of morally relevant behavior.