Transgression, self-image, and compliant behavior.

McMillen, David L.

doi:10.1037/h0031686

Cited by 53 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 8 publications

(8 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Guilt has been shown to play an important role in inciting consumer prosocial behavior and ethical decision making (Brennan and Binney 2010;Hibbert et al 2007;Huhmann and Brotherton 1997;Peloza et al 2013). In addition, consumers' compliance is higher after a committed transgression (McMillen 1971;Carlsmith and Gross 1969;Lascu 1991). Thus, we may infer that an action that reverses a green outcome induces greater levels of guilt compared to an inaction that maintains a non-green situation and in turn greater compliance with the socially or ethically accepted behavior.…”

Section: Default Policies For Greening Servicesmentioning

confidence: 95%

The Impact of Choice Architecture on Sustainable Consumer Behavior: The Role of Guilt

2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Companies often encourage consumers to engage in sustainable behaviors using their services in a more environmentally friendly or green way, such as reusing the towels in a hotel or replacing paper bank statements by electronic statements. Sometimes, the option of green service is implied as the default and consumers can opt-out, while in other cases consumers need to explicitly ask (opt-in) for switching to a green service. This research examines the effectiveness of choice architecture and particularly the different default policies-i.e., the alternative the consumer receives if he/she does not explicitly request otherwise-in engaging consumer green behavior. In four experiments, we show that the opt-out default policy is more effective than the opt-in, because it increases anticipated guilt. This effect is stronger for consumers who are less conscious for the environment (Study 1).We also show that a forced choice policy, in which the consumer is not automatically assigned to any condition and is forced to choose between the green and the nongreen service option, is more effective than the opt-in policy and not significantly more effective than the opt-out policy (Study 2). Finally, we show that the role of defaults is weakened (enhanced), if a negotiated (reciprocal) cooperation strategy is used (Study 3). The article contributes to the literature of defaults and provides managerial and public policy implications for the design of green services.

show abstract

Section: Default Policies For Greening Servicesmentioning

confidence: 95%

The Impact of Choice Architecture on Sustainable Consumer Behavior: The Role of Guilt

2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…INTRODUCTION The general view that compliance (the positive response of an individual when he is asked to do something) is dependent on internal mechanisms has been supported by considerable research. For example, Carlsmith and Gross (4) reported that compliance could be increased by making an individual feel guilty about having done something wrong; McMillen (14) found that when individuals experience a loss of self-esteem, they will be more apt to comply with a request; and Apsler (1) showed that higher compliance was obtained from individuals who had experienced some embarrassment. Studies have also shown, however, that situational factors, variables operating in the immediate environment, can also induce higher levels of compliance.…”

Section: Please Scroll Down For Articlementioning

confidence: 97%

Helping Behavior as Affected by Type of Request and Identity of Caller

Boice

Goldman

1981

The Journal of Social Psychology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…For example, after committing moral transgressions, people are more likely to comply with direct requests for help, even when compliance does not ameliorate the harm caused, and even when requesters are unaware of the previous transgression (Carlsmith & Gross, 1969;McMillen, 1970McMillen, , 1971McMillen & Austin, 1971). Another way in which people attenuate the distress of dissonance in the moral domain is through moral disengagement.…”

Section: The Consequences Of Unethical Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

Sweeping dishonesty under the rug: How unethical actions lead to forgetting of moral rules.

Shu¹,

Gino²

2012

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

121

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Dishonest behavior can have various psychological outcomes. We examine whether one consequence could be the forgetting of moral rules. In 4 experiments, participants were given the opportunity to behave dishonestly, and thus earn undeserved money, by over-reporting their performance on an ability-based task. Before the task, they were exposed to moral rules (i.e., an honor code). Those who cheated were more likely to forget the moral rules after behaving dishonestly, even though they were equally likely to remember morally irrelevant information (Experiment 1). Furthermore, people showed moral forgetting only after cheating could be enacted but not before cheating (Experiment 2), despite monetary incentives to recall the rules accurately (Experiment 3). Finally, moral forgetting appears to result from decreased access to moral rules after cheating (Experiment 4).

show abstract

Transgression, self-image, and compliant behavior.

Cited by 53 publications

References 8 publications

The Impact of Choice Architecture on Sustainable Consumer Behavior: The Role of Guilt

The Impact of Choice Architecture on Sustainable Consumer Behavior: The Role of Guilt

Helping Behavior as Affected by Type of Request and Identity of Caller

Sweeping dishonesty under the rug: How unethical actions lead to forgetting of moral rules.

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About