Honesty‐Humility and unethical behavior in adolescents: The mediating role of moral disengagement and the moderating role of system justification^☆

Abstract

Introduction: Honesty-Humility represents the tendency to be fair, genuine, and cooperative in social interactions. Although previous evidence has demonstrated that Honesty-Humility is related to decreased unethical behavior, little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relationship, especially among adolescents. Based on social cognitive theory and system justiication theory, the present study aims to examine the mediating role of moral disengagement and the moderating role of system justiication in the relationship between Honesty-Humility and unethical behavior among Chinese adolescents. Methods: A large sample of Chinese adolescents (N = 2,576, 47% boys; M age = 17.00 years, SD = 1.07) was recruited from four senior high schools. The participants completed questionnaires regarding Honesty-Humility, moral disengagement, system justiication, and unethical behavior. Results: The indings suggested that Honesty-Humility was negatively associated with adolescents' unethical behavior, and moral disengagement partially mediated this negative association. Furthermore, system justiication moderated the mediation model. Speciically, the negative relationships between Honesty-Humility and moral disengagement/unethical behavior were stronger among adolescents who perceive the society as fair. Conclusion: These indings advance the understanding of when and how Honesty-Humility prevents adolescents from unethical behavior. The theoretical and practical implications of the current study as well as future research directions are discussed.

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

“…Students with higher GFP scores but lower system justification had higher moral disengagement and moral hypocrisy than those with higher system justification. The results of the present study are similar to those of previous studies (Guo et al, 2021). A possible explanation for this result is that perceptions of social systems and environments may influence the cognitive processes involved in unethical behavior (Liang et al, 2020).…”

“…When system justification is low, individuals perceive themselves in an unfair, illegal, and unjust social environment, and may seek excuses for their unethical behaviors to safeguard their own interests, thereby reducing the psychological cost of unethical behaviors (Hystad et al, 2014; Jost, 2019; Jost et al, 2004), which may promote individuals' moral disengagement. Guo et al (2021) have found that system justification moderates the influences of honesty–humility on moral disengagement. When individuals perceive themselves to be in unfair and unreasonable situations, even those with high GFP may find it difficult to defend their interests (Hystad et al, 2014; Jost, 2019; Shu et al, 2011), which prompts them to use disengagement strategies and engage in moral hypocrisy.…”

“…Therefore, moral disengagement may mediate the relationship between the GFP and moral hypocrisy. In addition, when individuals perceive that they are in an unfair, illegitimate, and unjust environment, even those with a high honesty−humility score may commit unethical behavior using disengagement strategies (Guo et al, 2021). Therefore, system justification may moderate the relationship between the GFP and moral hypocrisy.…”

The effects of personality traits and attitudes towards the rule on academic dishonesty among university students

“…Results showed that individuals high in Honesty-Humility were less likely to cheat than those low on this trait. Honesty-Humility was negatively associated with adolescents’ unethical behavior, and moral disengagement partially mediated this negative association 43 . Hilbig and Zettler 44 found that German adults who were low in Honesty-Humility were more likely to behave dishonestly across various experimental situations (e.g., coin-toss task and dice-task).…”

Penanaman Nilai kejujuran dan implikasinya pada konseling di Taman Kanak-Kanak

“…Thielmann & Hilbig (2018) menemukan terdapat hubungan yang positif antara kejujuran dengan perilaku prososil. Kejujuran pada anak terlihat, mau mengantri, mengakui kesalahan, dan menghargai keunggulan orang lain (Samiaji, 2019), adil, tulus, dan kooperatif dalam interaksi sosial (Guo et al, 2021), dan mau berbagi (Allgaier et al, 2020). Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa kejujuran yang dimiliki anak, akan menjadikan anak mudah diterima lingkungan social.…”