Levels Of Moral Disengagement Research Articles

Callous-unemotional traits and online aggressive behaviour: Mediated moderation by moral disengagement

This study investigated the role of moral disengagement in the relationship between callous-unemotional traits and online aggression. The study sample comprised 484 college students (female = 68.4%; mean age = 19.27 years, SD = 1.21 years). The students completed questionnaires on callous-unemotional traits, moral disengagement, and online aggressive behaviour. Following structural equation modelling (SEM), results revealed that moral disengagement was a partial mediator in the relationship between callous-unemotional and online aggression among college students. It was specifically associated with an increase in online aggression scores. Moral disengagement moderated the relationship between callous-unemotional traits and online aggression, so that when the level of moral disengagement was high, callous-unemotional traits were associated with higher online aggressive behaviour. The research findings are consistent with the general aggression model and trait theory. Based on these findings, moral engagement-oriented interventions would be important for reducing the risk of online aggression among college students with personality disorders.

The general factor of personality and moral hypocrisy: A moderated mediation model

AbstractThis study examines the relationship between the general factor of personality (GFP) and moral hypocrisy, the mediating effect of moral disengagement, and the moderating effect of system justification. Six hundred and four Chinese college students (59.9% female, Mage = 22.58, SD = 1.81) completed questionnaires assessing their personality and the levels of moral disengagement and system justification. The moral situation assessment paradigm was used to measure interpersonal moral hypocrisy (i.e., moral double standards). The task assignment paradigm was used to measure intrapersonal moral hypocrisy (i.e., misalignment between words and deeds). The results revealed that the GFP was negatively associated with moral hypocrisy, and moral disengagement mediated this relationship. In addition, this mediating effect of moral disengagement was moderated by system justification. That is, the mediation effect was stronger for students with a higher level of system justification. These findings provide educational suggestions for preventing and intervening in moral hypocrisy among college students.

Ethical decisions during COVID-19: level of moral disengagement and national pride as mediators

Ethical decisions during COVID-19: level of moral disengagement and national pride as mediators

The hidden dark side of empowering leadership: The moderating role of hindrance stressors in explaining when empowering employees can promote moral disengagement and unethical pro-organizational behavior.

The majority of theory and research on empowering leadership to date has focused on how empowering leader behaviors influence employees, portraying those behaviors as almost exclusively beneficial. We depart from this predominant consensus to focus on the potential detriments of empowering leadership for employees. Drawing from the social cognitive theory of morality, we propose that empowering leadership can unintentionally increase employees' unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB), and that it does so by increasing their levels of moral disengagement. Specifically, we propose that hindrance stressors create a reversing effect, such that empowering leadership increases (vs. decreases) moral disengagement when hindrance stressors are higher (vs. lower). Ultimately, we argue for a positive or negative indirect effect of empowering leadership on UPB through moral disengagement. We find support for our predictions in both a time-lagged field study (Study 1) and a scenario-based experiment using an anagram cheating task (Study 2). We thus highlight the impact that empowering leadership can have on unethical behavior, providing answers to both why and when the dark side of empowering leadership behavior occurs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

“Moral disengagement” and empathy of witnesses of peer bullying

Reviewing the literature on peer bullying, we can repeatedly come across conclusions about the declared willingness of witnesses to help a person experiencing peer violence. As it turns out, however, these promises are rarely implemented by them and have little to do with helping in a real situation. The authors of scientific studies (Hymel, Bonanno, 2014; Machackova, Pfetsch, 2016; Tłuściak-Deliowska, 2016; Gini, Pozzoli, Thornberg, 2017, 2020) mention, among the significant factors that prevent witnesses from intervening, among others, a high level of moral disengagement and a low level of empathy of the observers. The article is an attempt to show the role of empathy and mechanisms of "moral disengagement" of witnesses of peer bullying in the face of harm to the victim. The author presented her own research, which is part of a wider research project, during which she conducted 23 free interviews with students of various fields of study. The main assumption of the research was to know the predictors of intervention during school bullying. The study focuses on empathy and "moral disengagement" and on the specific neutralization techniques that bystanders use to refrain from intervening or defending/helping a victim of peer bullying. The presented conclusions are an important point in the design of school preventive activities aimed at shaping morality and empathy.

Athletes' Goal Orientations and Attitudes towards Doping: Moral Disengagement in Sport as a Mediator.

Objective: In this study, we explored the characteristics of moral disengagement in sport and its mediating role in athletes' goal orientations and their attitudes towards doping We enrolled 203 athletes in the study. Methods: The Task and Ego Orientation in Sports Questionnaire, Moral Disengagement in Sport Scale and Performance Enhancement Attitude Scale were used to assess athletes' goal orientations and attitudes toward doping. Results: Our findings revealed that: (1) male athletes' scores for moral disengagement were significantly higher than those of female athletes; and (2) moral disengagement completely mediated the relationship between ego orientation and attitude towards doping, and partially mediated the association between task orientation and attitude towards doping. Conclusions: Changing the moral cognition and lowering the level of moral disengagement in athletes may be important issues to include in anti-doping education.

Adverse Childhood Experiences Related to Cognitive and Emotional States: A study on Sexual Offenders in Italy and Portugal

This study analysed the levels of cognitive distortions and verified whether adverse experiences (e.g., emotional abuse) may influence psychopathological traits, empathy deficits and levels of moral disengagement and cognitive distortions. Participants were 96 sex offenders: 64 participants are Italians and 32 participants are Portuguese studied cross-sectionally. A semistructured interview was administered to collect data about family and social histories, with self-report questionnaires to evaluate psychopathology, empathy, moral disengagement strategies and cognitive distortions. The results showed that about 14% of sexual offenders reported a moderate / severe level of deviance of distorted beliefs relating to children; 28% of the total sample (but 53% of Italians) reported a moderate/severe level of deviance related to cognitive distortions "sexual right". The results also showed how sex offenders who have suffered emotional abuse during their life report higher levels of emotional empathy, depression, anxiety, paranoid ideation, and psychoticism compared to those who have not suffered it. Theoretical and practical implications are provided.

Profiling the Interrogee: Applying the Person-Centered Approach in Investigative Interviewing Research.

In the past, deception detection research has explored whether there were specific personal characteristics that were related to lying and found that factors such as personality and morality are indeed related to lying. However, past research has usually focused on a variable-centered approach. Yet, a person-centered might be more suitable here as it allows for the study of people in an integrative manner. In this experiment, 673 students completed a questionnaire which included measures of the five factors of personality, the level of moral disengagement, the perceived cognitive load when lying, lying strategies, frequency of lying and the LiES scale, a tool measuring the tendency to tell self-serving, altruistic and vindicative lies. We performed a Latent Profile Analysis to integrate personality, moral disengagement, and perceived cognitive load scores into specific profiles. Then, we related profile membership to lying behavior. We obtained four profiles, and found that extraversion, moral disengagement, and the perceived cognitive load contributed most to profile differences. We also found that lying frequency did not differ across profiles, whereas lying tendency did. In conclusion, our results suggest that several facets of the individual play a joint role in lying behavior, and that adopting a person-centered approach might be a good strategy to explore the role of interpersonal differences in lie detection research.

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.

Moral Development in Adolescents as A Key Indicator for The Prevention of Violent Behavior in Their Couples’ Relationships

Dating violence is a multidimensional and cross-cultural problem that in the last decade has extended worryingly to teenage age. The consequences are so serious and lasting over time that they cause serious psychological, educational, family and social implications. Knowledge of predictive indicators and the consequences that these aggression and victimization processes cause, can offer an important guide for the design of prevention and intervention protocols that contribute to decrease the prevalence of cases, to facilitate their identification, to give an answer faster and more efficient. This study emphasizes the moral development of adolescents as a key indicator and, specifically, in the level of moral disengagement they present. The aims are: a) Analyze the level of moral disengagement of adolescents, as well as the mechanisms they use to accept and normalize violent behaviors; b) Know what mechanisms of moral disengagement predict certain forms of aggression in dating relationships. The sample consists of 2029 adolescents (55.4% girls) with ages between 14 and 18 years (M = 16.2; SD = 1.2). The results indicate that adolescents have a moderate level of moral disengagement (M = 2,562; SD = 0.4362) and the most commonly used disengagement mechanisms coincide with the diffusion and displacement of responsibility for the damage caused. As the level of disengagement increases, the mechanisms that adolescents use to validate and approve aggressive behaviors committed and suffered are diversified. Finally, it is found that the use of mechanisms such as dehumanization and euphemistic language are strong predictors of certain forms of victimization.

An Examination of Bullying Roles and Moral Disengagement Using Latent Analysis

ABSTRACT Bullying persists as a concern in schools, including the question of why some children bully. One idea differentiating bullying roles (e.g., bully, victim, bully-victim) is that some individuals are morally disengaged, or able to disconnect their moral understanding and behavior. The present study examined types of bullying involvement and moral disengagement. To address the methodological debate within the bullying literature, the present study used latent analysis. The findings revealed that bullying and victimization behaviors vary by degree of involvement. The present study found that moral disengagement was related to students’ degree of participation in bullying; students in the bully-victim class had the highest levels of moral disengagement, followed by students in the victim class, social victim class, and outsider class. Further research should explore moral engagement as a strategy to enhance anti-bullying efforts.

Leader psychopathy and organizational deviance

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between leader psychopathy and organizational deviance. In particular, the authors introduce employee’s psychological safety as the mediator. Furthermore, the moderating role of moral disengagement in the relationship between leader psychopathy and organizational deviance is also considered.Design/methodology/approachThe data of this study include 611 certified nurses from 9 university hospitals in Turkey. The proposed model was tested by using hierarchical multiple regression analysis.FindingsThe results of this study supported the positive effect of leader psychopathy on organizational deviance along with the mediating effect of employee’s psychological safety. Furthermore, when the level of moral disengagement is low, the relationship between leader psychopathy and organizational deviance is weak, whereas the effect is strong when the level of moral disengagement is high.Practical implicationsThe findings of the study recommend that administrators in the healthcare industry ought to be sensitive in treating their subordinates, since it will result in positive organizational relationship, which, subsequently, will certainly reduce organizational deviance. Furthermore, they have to pay more focus on the buffering role of moral disengagement for all those subordinates with high distrust and displaying organizational deviance.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the literature about workplace deviance by uncovering the relational mechanism between leader psychopathy and employee organizational deviance. Furthermore, it includes practical assistance to healthcare employees and their leaders interested in building trust, increasing leader–employee relationship and reducing organizational deviance.

Moral Disengagement Level of Team Athletes Depending on Unethical Behaviors They Perceived from Their Coaches

The aim of this study is to determine the correlation between moral disengagement level of team athletes and unethical behaviors they perceived from their coaches by examining moral disengagement level of team athletes depending on unethical behaviors they perceived from their coaches. The target population of the study consists of 305 team athletes whose age average is 20.45 ± 4.68 and who are training with the same trainer for average of 2.01 ± 1.69 years and from basketball, football and volleyball branches. In this study, “Moral Disengagement in Sport” and “Athlete’s Perception about Coaches’ Unethical Behaviors” scales have been used as data collection tools. Descriptive statistics, t test, ANOVA and Pearson Correlation analysis were used for the analysis of data. According to the findings of the study, it was observed that there was a positive low level of correlation between moral disengagement and athlete’s perception about unethical behaviors of the coach. Younger athletes have a higher perception about unethical behavior they perceived from coaches. Moral disengagement scores of male athletes, athletes who did not take part in national team and athletes who were punished were significantly higher. Significant difference was observed in moral disengagement and in the sub-dimensions of the athletes’ perception about their coaches’ unethical behavior scales by branch. When the meeting level of athletes with their coaches in the social environment examined, it was seen that there was a significant difference in all sub-dimensions of the athlete’s perception regarding the coach’s unethical behaviors scale. When athlete’s level of communication with their coaches was examined, there was a significant difference in all sub-dimensions of the athlete’s perception regarding the coach’s unethical behaviors scale. As a result, as the level of unethical behavior that athletes perceived from their coaches increases, the level of moral disengagement also increases.

Analysis of Moral Disengagement as a Modulating Factor in Adolescents' Perception of Cyberbullying.

There have been various studies establishing a relationship between moral reasoning and the perpetration of cyberbullying, but very few analyzing either the moderating role played by moral disengagement in how both aggressor and victim perceive cyberbullying, or the repercussions of this moderation for the determination of the prevalence of the problem and for the design of prevention programs. The present study examines the relationship between moral disengagement, moral identity, and how victims of this type of abuse perceive cyberbullying. The participants were 1912 adolescents (51% women) from Extremadura (Spain) of ages from 14 to 18 years. They completed three questionnaires addressing perception of cyberbullying, moral disengagement, and moral identity. Factorial, structural, correlation, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to construct their perceptual structure of cyberbullying. These analyses showed the influence of their different levels of moral disengagement on those perceptions, and the moderating role that moral identity plays in the direct and indirect relationships between moral disengagement and the perception of cyberbullying. They revealed, on the one hand, the key and the subsidiary criteria victims use to classify some given cybernetic behavior as a case of cyberbullying, and, on the other, that the victims’ levels of moral disengagement explain both the justifications they resort to in order to interpret occurrences of cyberbullying and their shifting or spreading of responsibility onto others. Finally, the results can be a key element in the design of effective psychological interventions aimed at improving adolescents’ moral identity in situations of cybernetic victimization.

A cross-lagged model of the relationship between violent video game exposure and moral disengagement in middle school and high school students

Previous studies have proved that violent video game exposure might have an association with moral disengagement; however, the directionality of this correlation remains unclear. Therefore, we examined the reciprocal effects between violent video game exposure and moral disengagement in a longitudinal study. The sample included 1393 adolescents (48.7% boys) in the seventh (middle school students, n=694, Mage=13.15years) and tenth (high school students, n=699, Mage=15.93years) grades at six Chinese secondary schools. The results showed that high school students' levels of moral disengagement were higher than those of middle school students, and violent video game exposure was positively associated with moral disengagement. The cross-lagged panel model suggested that violent video game exposure predicted moral disengagement (six months later) in all participants, with a slightly stronger effect in middle school students. The finding also indicated differences in the development of perspective regarding the association between violent video game exposure and moral disengagement, which observed a predictive effect for middle school students but a lagged effect for high school students. Thus, different preventions and interventions should be distinguished for middle school and high school students.

The efficacy of teachers' responses to incidents of bullying and victimization: The mediational role of moral disengagement for bullying.

Teachers respond differently to bullying and victimization. Socio-cognitive and moral domain theory suggest that students process teachers' behavior cognitively and that teachers' responses to incidents of bullying and victimization could affect students' level of moral disengagement. We examined the mediating effect of students' moral disengagement between types of teachers' responses to situations of bullying and victimization and individual bullying using multilevel mediation modelling. Participants were 609 students (50% boys, age M = 11.47, SD = 1.14) of central Italy, nested in 34 classes. Students rated the frequency of self-reported bullying and of teachers' responses to incidents of bullying and victimization on a 5-point Likert scale. Teachers' responses to bullying included non-intervention, mediation, group discussion, and sanctions. Teachers' responses to victimization included non-intervention, mediation, group discussion, and victim support. Results indicated that in the teachers' responses to incidents of bullying model, a significant indirect effect of non-intervention (β = .03; 95%CI [.01, .05]) and of sanctions (β = -.02; 95%CI [-.04, -.01]) on bullying through moral disengagement was found at the individual level. Similarly, in the model on teachers' responses toward victims there was a significant indirect effect through moral disengagement of non-intervention (β = .03; 95%CI [.02, .04]) and victim support (β = -.01; 95%CI [-.02, -.001]). At the class level there were no significant indirect effects. In sum, results indicated that moral disengagement is an important mediator at the individual level and suggest including teachers in anti-bullying interventions with a specific focus on their role for moral development.

Moral Disengagement and Psychopathy: A Study on Offenders in Italian Jails

This article investigates mechanisms of moral disengagement and psychopathy in offender detainees (sex offenders and non-sex offenders). In particular, this article investigates whether, in all offenders, moral disengagement and psychopathy are correlated, if there are any differences between sex offenders and non-sex offenders as to psychopathy, and if there are any differences between rapists and child molesters in regard to their levels of psychopathy. The results indicate that, in all offenders, levels of moral disengagement are associated with levels of psychopathy, while sex offenders are more selfish, more insensitive and less remorseful than non-sex offenders. It is also found that rapists display more antisocial behaviour problematic elements in their lifestyle than child molesters. As well as increasing the dedicated literature, studying the mechanisms and characteristics of offenders – and of sex offenders in particular – may be of considerable importance for the promotion of effective and targeted treatment strategies.

Moral Disengagement in Science and Business Students: An Exploratory Study

Cases of unethical business practices and technical failures have been extensively reported. It seems that actions are often taken by individuals with little apparent concern for those affected by their negative outcomes, which can be described as moral disengagement. This study investigates levels of moral disengagement demonstrated by business and science undergraduate students. Results indicate higher levels of moral disengagement in men than in women, but few significant differences between students majoring in business and those majoring in science.

Risky cognitions associated with adolescent alcohol misuse: Moral disengagement, alcohol expectancies and perceived self-regulatory efficacy

AimTo examine the longitudinal associations between moral disengagement, alcohol related expectancies, perceived self-regulatory efficacy and alcohol use amongst adolescents. Design and participantsA total of 367 students (mean age=13.1, SD=0.51; 65% male) from five schools across Sydney, Australia took part in this longitudinal study. Participants completed a self-report questionnaire at four time points across an 18month period which assessed their alcohol use, levels of moral disengagement, alcohol related expectancies and perceived self-regulatory efficacy to resist peer pressure to engage in transgressive behaviours. ResultsOver time, rates of binge drinking in the past three months significantly increased, but rates of drinking any alcohol in the past three months remained stable. As hypothesised, all three cognitions were independently and consistently associated with adolescent alcohol use and binge drinking over time, with the exception of perceived self-regulatory efficacy which was not associated with an increased risk of drinking any alcohol in the past three months when controlling for moral disengagement, alcohol expectancies, gender and age. ConclusionsThe current study is the first study to longitudinally map three distinct cognitive factors associated with adolescent alcohol use. Considering the alarming number of adolescents drinking at levels that place them at risk of significant harm, this study has provided important implications about cognitive factors that can be targeted to increase the accuracy of assessment and efficacy of prevention for alcohol misuse amongst adolescents.

Gang-related crime: the social, psychological and behavioral correlates

This study examined the behavioral, social and psychological factors associated with gang-related crime. By comparing group crime committed by non-gang youth and gang members, this study sought to identify the kinds of criminal activity gang members engage in and identify the specific characteristics that differentiate gang-related crime from other group crimes. We found that gangs map out their territory with graffiti and intimidate others via threats. We also found that high levels of individual delinquency and the presence of neighborhood gangs were significant predictors of gang-related crime. Contrary to our expectations, the perceived importance of social status, moral disengagement and anti-authority attitudes did not predict gang-related crime; however, further analyses showed that the perceived importance of social status and high levels of moral disengagement predicted gang-related crime with anti-authority attitudes acting as mediator. These findings highlight a need to examine more closely, the psychological and social factors that contribute to gang membership and gang-related crime.