Resource constraints lead to biased attention but decrease unethical behavior

Abstract

Subjective experiences of economic resource scarcity, shaped by social comparison, can make individuals risk-seeking and short-term oriented, capture attention, and trigger feelings of unfairness. However, the impact of scarcity on information acquisition and ethical decision-making remains poorly understood. This eye-tracking study explored how acute financial scarcity affects selective information search and ethical decision-making in an economic task with competing incentives (N = 60; 12,000 observations). Contrary to predictions, participants experiencing scarcity were less likely to cheat for economic gains, indicating that scarcity does not necessarily reduce ethical behavior. Although articipants displayed a strong attentional bias towards high-paying choices, they did not act unethically. These findings might reveal a "moral boundary" dictating when attentional biases translate into decision-making. Our results contribute to understanding how individuals in scarcity contexts process and prioritize information in ethical decision-making, helping organizations and policymakers combat stereotypes surrounding resource-deprived individuals, and design evidence-based policy interventions promoting ethical behavior in financially scarce situations.