Higher Levels Of Moral Disengagement Research Articles

Negative performance feedback from algorithms or humans? effect of medical researchers’ algorithm aversion on scientific misconduct

Institutions are increasingly employing algorithms to provide performance feedback to individuals by tracking productivity, conducting performance appraisals, and developing improvement plans, compared to traditional human managers. However, this shift has provoked considerable debate over the effectiveness and fairness of algorithmic feedback. This study investigates the effects of negative performance feedback (NPF) on the attitudes, cognition and behavior of medical researchers, comparing NPF from algorithms versus humans. Two scenario-based experimental studies were conducted with a total sample of 660 medical researchers (algorithm group: N1 = 411; human group: N2 = 249). Study 1 analyzes the differences in scientific misconduct, moral disengagement, and algorithmic attitudes between the two sources of NPF. The findings reveal that NPF from algorithms shows higher levels of moral disengagement, scientific misconduct, and negative attitudes towards algorithms compared to NPF from humans. Study 2, grounded in trait activation theory, investigates how NPF from algorithms triggers individual’s egoism and algorithm aversion, potentially leading to moral disengagement and scientific misconduct. Results indicate that algorithm aversion triggers individuals’ egoism, and their interaction enhances moral disengagement, which in turn leads to increased scientific misconduct among researchers. This relationship is also moderated by algorithmic transparency. The study concludes that while algorithms can streamline performance evaluations, they pose significant risks to scientific misconduct of researchers if not properly designed. These findings extend our understanding of NPF by highlighting the emotional and cognitive challenges algorithms face in decision-making processes, while also underscoring the importance of balancing technological efficiency with moral considerations to promote a healthy research environment. Moreover, managerial implications include integrating human oversight in algorithmic NPF processes and enhancing transparency and fairness to mitigate negative impacts on medical researchers’ attitudes and behaviors.

Oxytocin enhances group-based guilt in high moral disengagement individuals through increased moral responsibility

Group-based guilt (collective guilt) refers to the negative emotions experienced when group members violate moral standards and can motivate prosocial behavior. Individuals exhibiting high levels of moral disengagement are prone to engaging in unethical conduct without experience of guilt, thereby prolonging or exacerbating conflicts and hindering conflict resolution. Oxytocin is believed to play key role in shaping social cognition and behaviors associated with morality and prosociality. So, this study (N = 79) explores oxytocin's potential to enhance group-based guilt and compensation for victims among individuals with high moral disengagement. Employing a randomized placebo-controlled design, participants received either oxytocin or placebo before undertaking a task designed to induce group-based guilt, during which they made decisions regarding the allocation of money to victims. Results revealed that participants with high moral disengagement who received oxytocin perceived higher levels of moral responsibility, experienced increased group-based guilt, and allocated significantly more money to victims compared to those who received the placebo. These findings suggested that oxytocin holds promise as an intervention to mitigate moral disengagement and foster moral behavior in individuals predisposed to avoiding responsibility and guilt feelings.

The role of moral disengagement and classroom collective efficacy in social support and bystander behavior of elementary school students: A multilevel moderated mediation analysis.

Few studies have examined the process of the relationship between social support and bystander behavior, and previous research has primarily focused on individual- or group-level correlates of bystander behavior without a full understanding of these correlates and their interactions. To address this research gap, the present study examined whether social support and moral disengagement at the individual level, as well as collective efficacy at the classroom level, were associated with bystander behavior in school bullying situations. Questionnaires were administered to 1,310 elementary school students in Grades 4-6 (Mage = 10.97 ± 0.98 years) from 61 classes in the Zhejiang Province of China. Multilevel moderated mediation analyses revealed that higher levels of social support were directly related to more defender behavior and less reinforcer and outsider behavior, and social support was also related to bystander behavior through the indirect role of moral disengagement. In classrooms with higher levels of collective efficacy to stop peer bullying, students tended to show more defender behavior and less outsider behavior. Higher levels of classroom collective efficacy did not moderate the relationship between moral disengagement and defender behavior, although it did inhibit the reinforcer and outsider behaviors of those with high levels of moral disengagement. This study sheds light on the relationship between multiple factors and bystander behavior at both the individual and classroom levels and contributes to the understanding of school bullying in the context of peer group interactions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Minimizing Responsibility: The Impact of Moral Disengagement on Cyberbullying Perpetration Among Adults

Research has demonstrated a relationship between moral disengagement and cyberbullying perpetration among adolescents, indicating youth with higher levels of moral disengagement are more likely to engage in cyberbullying. Less is known, however, regarding the impact of moral disengagement, particularly the influence of the four dimensions, on adults’ involvement in cyberbullying perpetration. Using a sample of adults ( n = 652; aged 18–50 years) in the United States, this study examined the relationship between the four dimensions of moral disengagement and cyberbullying perpetration. Findings revealed that approximately 12% had ever engaged in cyberbullying perpetration. Further, logistic regression results revealed that moral disengagement was a significant predictor of cyberbullying perpetration among adults, with the dimension of minimizing responsibility driving the significant relationship.

The Influence of Moral Disengagement and Peer Support on Cyberbullying Behavior

This study aims to examine the influence of moral disengagement and peer support on cyberbullying behavior among adolescents. The population in this study are all adolescents who have Instagram accounts and are in the adolescent development stage in the Jabodetabek area. The research sample consisted of 78 adolescents aged 15-18 years who actively use Instagram social media accounts. The data collection method was conducted through an online survey using a questionnaire distributed randomly to teenagers in the Jabodetabek area. Data processing was carried out using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis through Smart PLS software. The results showed that moral disengagement has a significant influence on cyberbullying behavior. Adolescents with high levels of moral disengagement tend to have more frequent cyberbullying behavior. Furthermore, this study also found that peer support has a significant effect on cyberbullying behavior. In this case, positive social support from peers can reduce the tendency of cyberbullying behavior, while negative support can actually increase this behavior. This study provides new insights into the factors that influence cyberbullying behavior among adolescent Instagram users. The findings can be used as a basis for the development of interventions aimed at reducing cyberbullying behavior among adolescents, as well as providing recommendations for relevant stakeholders to design effective prevention programs

Understanding the association between moral disengagement and ethnic victimization: roles of bystanders in class

ABSTRACT The current study examined whether bystander behaviours in class were associated with being perpetrators of ethnic victimization and whether they moderated the association between disengagement from morality and perpetrating ethnic-based victimization. The sample included 1065 adolescents residing in Sweden (M age = 13.12, SD=.42; 55% males) from the first wave of a three-year longitudinal study. Students completed self-report measures. The results showed that adolescents with high levels of moral disengagement had greater likelihood of engagement in ethnic victimization. At the classroom level, lower levels of defending intentions and higher levels of reinforcing behaviours were related to higher likelihood of engagement in ethnic victimization. None of the cross-level interactions between moral disengagement and classroom-level bystander behaviours were statistically significant. Together, these findings suggest that intervention programmes designed to reduce bias-based hostile behaviours in schools may focus on promoting defending behaviours in class. However, the findings also highlight that targeting social context (or at least bystanders in class) might not be sufficient by itself to intervene with morally disengaged adolescents’ involvement in ethnic victimization. Intervention efforts may also benefit from including specific components targeting moral disengagement mechanisms.

Direct and indirect effects of social dominance orientation on hate speech perpetration via empathy and moral disengagement among adolescents: A multilevel mediation model.

Although it is known that social dominance orientation directly affects hate speech perpetration, few studies have explored the mechanisms by which this effect takes place during adolescence. Based on the socio-cognitive theory of moral agency, we aimed to fill this gap in the literature by exploring the direct and indirect effects of social dominance orientation on hate speech perpetration in offline and online settings. The sample included seventh, eigth, and ninth graders (N = 3225) (51.2% girls, 37.2% with an immigrant background) from 36 Swiss and German schools who completed a survey about hate speech, social dominance orientation, empathy, and moral disengagement. A multilevel mediation path model revealed that social dominance orientation had a direct effect on offline and online hate speech perpetration. Moreover, social dominance also had indirect effects via low levels of empathy and high levels of moral disengagement. No gender differences were observed. Our findings are discussed regarding the potential contribution to preventing hate speech during adolescence.

Dark triad and cyber aggression among Chinese adolescents during COVID-19: A moderated mediation model.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of online learning has become a necessary choice for students, and would increase the probability of cyber aggression (CA). Despite the relationship between Dark Triad and CA previous was explored in previous research, the underlying psychological mechanism of CA in adolescents is still unclear. The current study aimed to examine the mediating role of moral disengagement (MD) and the moderating of gender in the relationship between Dark Triad and CA. A sample consists of 501 Chinese adolescents (246 females; 255 males) between the ages of 11 ~ 20. Participants completed the Dirty Dozen Scale, Moral Disengagement Scale, and Cyber Aggressive Behavior Scale. Results show that higher levels of dark personality were associated with higher levels of MD and CA. Moral disengagement partially mediated this positive effects of dark personality on CA. Moreover, gender moderated the mediation model. Specially, the positive relationship between dark triad personality and CA was stronger among females adolescents. These findings advance the understanding of how dark triad personality induces Chinese adolescents' cyber aggressive behavior.

Operationalizing perpetrator studies. Focusing readers’ reactions to The Kindly Ones by Jonathan Littell

AbstractWithin the field of Holocaust Studies the last decade has witnessed a turn to the figure of the perpetrator, who had hitherto received little attention due to ethical, legal and psychological reasons. A similar turn can also be observed in connection with the study of empathy. In this context, the concept of “negative empathy,” intended as a sharing of emotions with morally negative fictional characters, has become an increasingly discussed topic. For research in this area, the novelThe Kindly Ones(2006) by Jonathan Littell takes up a privileged position in light of its intrinsic literary quality and due to its commercial and critical success. This novel recounts the memories of an SS-officer, Maximilian Aue, who participated in the Shoah. We have carried out an experiment using some passages of this novel to test the empathic reactions of (104) readers. Passages were presented under either of two conditions: as a fictional text or as part of an autobiography. Results showed that fictionalization has a significant effect on moral disengagement; readers who read the narrative presented to them asfictionalexperienced higher levels of moral disengagement compared to readers in the autobiography condition. Moreover, higher levels of moral disengagement led to significantly higher levels of empathy for the protagonist of the novel.

Profiles of Community Violence Exposure, Moral Disengagement, and Bullying Perpetration: Evidence from a Sample of Italian Adolescents.

According to the Pathologic Adaptation Model of community violence exposure, repeated experiences of violence within the community lead youth to accept violence as a normative and legitimate strategy to cope with conflict, thus increasing their involvement in aggressive behaviors. This hypothesis has been under-investigated with reference to bullying at school. Using a person-centered analytical approach (latent profile analysis), this study examines the mediating role of moral disengagement as a type of normalizing cognition about violence, in the relationship between profiles of community violence exposure and perpetration of bullying. Eight hundred and two adolescents (11-18years; 43.4% girls) from two different urban and societal contexts in Italy (Milan vs. Naples) participated in the study. Four profiles of exposure to community violence emerged. Context site and age influenced belonging to the four profiles. Being moderately exposed to violence, both as a victim and as a witness, was significantly associated with higher levels of moral disengagement and bullying perpetration. Being exposed as a witness and as a victim, and being exposed only as a witness were associated with bullying perpetration via the increase of moral disengagement. These findings support the Pathologic Adaptation Model and indicate that adolescents who experience higher levels of community violence, as a witness or both as a witness and a victim, are more likely to develop morally disengaged beliefs about violence, which in turn would increase the likelihood to perpetrate bullying. Results are also discussed in the context of social diversity.

Abusive supervision and cyberloafing: A moderated moderation model of moral disengagement and negative reciprocity beliefs

Cyberloafing is a major productivity killer in the workplace. Drawing on social cognitive theory and social exchange theory, we developed and tested a model that examined the underlying mechanisms through which abusive supervision influences cyberloafing. The results showed that abusive supervision is positively related to cyberloafing. This relationship is also moderated by negative reciprocity beliefs. In addition, support was found for the three-way interaction effect of abusive supervision, moral disengagement, and negative reciprocity beliefs on cyberloafing, such that the positive relationship between abusive supervision and cyberloafing is strongest at high levels of moral disengagement and negative reciprocity beliefs.

Do leaders condone unethical pro‐organizational employee behaviors? The complex interplay between leader organizational identification and moral disengagement

AbstractConsidering recent corporate scandals, organizations have increased their efforts to curb unethical employee behavior. However, little is known about whether leaders comply with these efforts and how they respond to unethical employee behavior, especially when unethical actions benefit the organization. By integrating arguments from social identity and moral disengagement theories, we develop and test a model to explain how leaders respond to unethical pro‐organizational behavior (UPB) among employees. Results from one multi‐wave, multi‐source field study and one experiment showed that leader perceptions of employee UPB were positively related to leader trust in employees when leaders identified strongly with their organization or when they had a strong propensity to morally disengage. Moreover, the results revealed an important three‐way interaction effect. Leaders put considerable trust into UPB‐enacting employees when leaders both identified strongly with the organization and showed high levels of moral disengagement. In contrast, they put little trust into UPB‐enacting employees when leaders identified weakly with the organization and reported low moral disengagement. Furthermore, results showed that leader trust ultimately translated into perceived leader justice toward employees. These findings provide new and important insights into when organizations can(not) rely on their leaders to manage unethical employee behaviors.

Teachers’ knowledge and intervention strategies to handle hate-postings

ABSTRACT Hate-postings are an example of cyberhate that can happen among students in a school. However, no study to date has ever investigated this phenomenon from the perspectives of teachers and almost nothing is known about it in the school setting. Teachers (N= 130, 83% female) reported their knowledge, attitudes, and likely responses to a hypothetical hate-posting incident in which a student was devaluated, insulted and verbally harassed online because of his country of origin and religious affiliation, in addition to giving information about several school level variables. Based on answers to the 22 items of the newly developed handling hate-posting questionnaire (HHPQ), six teacher responses were identified with exploratory factor analysis. Teachers would most often alert other colleagues, followed by using victim-oriented rehabilitating strategies , working with the perpetrators’ parents, applying authority-based sanctions, seeking help from external professionals, and they would rather not ignore the incident. Different individual and school level variables predicted these responses. Teachers who had higher levels of moral disengagement and who reported that there were no school-wide guidelines were more likely to ignore the incident. Implications for the prevention of cyberhate are discussed.

Physical Distancing Behavior: The Role of Emotions, Personality, Motivations, and Moral Decision-Making.

ObjectivePhysical distancing behavior (PDB) is a key disease prevention strategy for limiting the spread of COVID-19. In order to effectively encourage it among adolescents, it is necessary to understand the associated mental mechanisms. Health behavior theories suggest that emotions, personality, motivation, and moral disengagement could all play a role. On the basis of a longitudinal study, we investigated the importance of these factors in predicting PDB.MethodsThe participants were 347 adolescents residing in Italy. Data were collected in four waves starting from 1 year before the pandemic. A structural equation model based on health behavior theory was tested.ResultsAfter the COVID-19 national lockdown, adolescents experienced fewer positive emotions and more negative emotions compared with 1 year earlier. Nevertheless, these emotional changes, and adolescents’ personality (except for openness to experiences), were not related to the adoption of PDB. Instead, the autonomous motivation of adolescents significantly predicted a higher likelihood to adopt PDB by increasing the intention to engage in this behavior and, more indirectly, by substantially decreasing moral disengagement, which was negatively related to PDB. In contrast, controlled motivation corresponded to significantly higher levels of moral disengagement and predicted less likelihood of adopting PDB.ConclusionsMessages and interventions targeted at adolescents should be oriented towards supporting autonomy, emphasizing the personal and social value of PDB. Communications should avoid the use of coercive strategies based on eliciting emotions such as shame and guilt in adolescents who do not adopt PDB, which appear to trigger off mechanisms of moral disengagement.

The relationship between stressors of temporary work and counterproductive work behaviour.

Recent research on temporary work has suggested that temporary work experiences vary greatly in quality. In light of concerns about diminished quality of some temporary work experiences, we suggest that temporary workers may experience a variety of stressful work situations that could precipitate detrimental outcomes not only for these workers, but also for their co-workers and organizations. Using a multi-wave survey of temporary workers, this study examines the relationship between economic, interpersonal, and organizational stressors and counterproductive work behaviour (CWB). Specifically, we hypothesize that economic stressors (operationalized as economic hardship and job insecurity), interpersonal conflict and organizational constraints will predict the extent to which temporary workers perform CWB via emotional exhaustion and moral disengagement pathways. Three waves of data show that temporary workers experiencing higher levels of economic hardship, interpersonal conflict and organizational constraints reported greater emotional exhaustion, which was linked to increased frequency of CWBs. Additionally, higher levels of job insecurity and interpersonal conflict were related to higher levels of moral disengagement, which related to increased frequency of CWBs. These findings highlight relationships of different stressors with emotional and cognitive reactions that may trigger CWB in temporary workers.

When Targets Strike Back: How Negative Workplace Gossip Triggers Political Acts by Employees

This study examines why and when negative workplace gossip promotes self-serving behaviors by the employees being targeted. Using conservation of resources (COR) theory, we find that targets tend to increase their political acts as a result of ego depletion triggered by negative gossip. We also show that sensitivity to interpersonal mistreatment and moral disengagement moderate this process. Specifically, we demonstrate that targets with high levels of sensitivity to interpersonal mistreatment are more likely to experience ego depletion, and that targets with high levels of moral disengagement will find it easier to persuade themselves to engage in political acts. We conducted a three-wave time-lagged survey of 265 employees in Guangdong, China, to test our hypotheses. The results support our theoretical model and indicate that COR theory can be used to explain the impacts of negative workplace gossip. Alongside our important and timely theoretical contributions, we provide new perspectives on how managers can avoid or mitigate these political acts.

Moral disengagement and adolescents’ cyberbullying perpetration: Student-student relationship and gender as moderators

There has been growing scholarly interest in understanding the relationship between moral disengagement and adolescents’ cyberbullying perpetration. However, it is less clear which factors can diminish the strength of this relationship. Based on evolutionary psychological and the general aggression model, the current study sought to determine whether student-student relationships and gender simultaneously moderated the relationship between moral disengagement and cyberbullying perpetration. The participants included 2,393 adolescents from seven middle schools in China. They completed the questionnaires regarding moral disengagement, student-student relationships, cyberbullying perpetration, traditional bullying, traditional victimization, and cybervictimization. Results indicated that adolescents with high levels of moral disengagement were more likely to engage in cyberbullying perpetration, even after controlling for traditional bullying, traditional victimization, and cybervictimization. Student-student relationships moderated the relationship between moral disengagement and cyberbullying perpetration. Furthermore, student-student relationships and gender simultaneously interacted with moral disengagement in predicting cyberbullying perpetration. That is, higher levels of moral disengagement significantly predicted increases in females’ cyberbullying perpetration, regardless of whether they had positive or negative student-student relationships. However, the relationship between moral disengagement and cyberbullying perpetration became weaken for males with positive student-student relationships.

Childhood Maltreatment and Bullying Perpetration among Chinese Adolescents: A Moderated Mediation Model of Moral Disengagement and Trait Anger

BackgroundChildhood maltreatment plays an important role in adolescents’ bullying perpetration. However, the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this association remain largely unknown. ObjectivesThe current study examined the relationship between childhood maltreatment and adolescents’ bullying perpetration and extended previous literature by examining the mediating effect of moral disengagement and the moderating effect of trait anger in this relationship. Participants and settingFour hundred and thirty-five Chinese adolescents (228 girls, mean age = 13.55 years) participated in the current study. MethodsOur theoretical model was examined using a short-term longitudinal design. During the fall of 2016, adolescents completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form. After six months, they completed the moral disengagement Scale, the Bullying Scale, and the Trait Anger Scale in the spring of 2017. ResultsThe results indicated that childhood maltreatment positively predicted adolescents’ bullying perpetration at six months later, and moral disengagement mediated this relationship. Trait anger moderated the relationship between moral disengagement and bullying perpetration, but not the relationship between childhood maltreatment and bullying perpetration. Specifically, high trait anger adolescents who had higher levels of moral disengagement were more likely to bully their peers than low trait anger adolescents. ConclusionsThese findings indicate that childhood maltreatment plays an important role in adolescents’ bullying perpetration, and this relationship is mediated by moral disengagement. Moreover, trait anger moderates the relationship between moral disengagement and bullying perpetration. Educators who examine adolescents’ bullying perpetration should pay closer attention to their moral disengagement and trait anger, as well as their childhood maltreatment experiences, in order to provide appropriate interventions.

Doping Use in High-School Students: Measuring Attitudes, Self-Efficacy, and Moral Disengagement Across Genders and Countries.

The main aim of this research was to test the factorial validity and measurement invariance across genders and countries of a set of instruments designed to assess high-school students’ attitudes, self-regulatory efficacy, and moral disengagement with regard to doping. A second aim was to examine the criterion and predictive validity of these scales. In total, 402 high-school students from Italy, Romania, and Turkey (40.0, 25.1, and 34.9%, respectively; M age 14.78 years old; SD = 1.04; 52.8% females) completed questionnaires measuring attitudes toward doping, self-regulatory efficacy in refraining from doping, doping-specific moral disengagement, and intention to use doping substances. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported our expectations with regard to the factor structure of the scales. Multigroup CFAs provided evidence for the full equivalence of the measures across males and females and partial equivalence of the measures across the three countries. The results of the latent mean comparison showed that male students had lower levels of self-regulatory efficacy than females and that Romanian and Turkish students had higher levels of moral disengagement and lower level of self-regulatory efficacy than Italian students. Finally, the results of a structural equation modeling supported the hypothesis that the proposed model predicted students’ intentions to use doping, thus generally confirming the criterion and the predictive validity of the measures. These findings suggested the validity of a set of instruments measuring attitudes toward doping, self-regulatory efficacy to refrain from doping, and doping-specific moral disengagement in high-school students from a cross-gender and a cross-cultural perspective and provided meaningful estimates of the differences in the three factors between males and females as well as between Italian, Romanian, and Turkish high-school students.

Authoritarian-Benevolent Leadership, Moral Disengagement, and Follower Unethical Pro-organizational Behavior: An Investigation of the Effects of Ambidextrous Leadership

Drawing on the social cognitive theory of moral disengagement, this study examined the influence of the authoritarian-benevolent style of ambidextrous leadership on follower unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB), mediated via moral disengagement. We tested the hypotheses using a sample of 175 participants at two time points. The results indicated that authoritarian-benevolent leadership affects moral disengagement. In addition, followers in congruent dyads with low authoritarian-benevolent leadership perceived higher levels of moral disengagement than those in congruent dyads with high authoritarian-benevolent leadership. Furthermore, high authoritarian-benevolent leadership had an indirect effect on follower UPB via moral disengagement. Theoretical and practical implications and future research directions are suggested.