A matter of perspective: why past moral behavior can sometimes encourage and other times discourage future moral striving

Moritz Susewind · Erik Hoelzl

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Ethics in Business and Education Behavioral Health and Interventions Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment

Abstract

Abstract In this paper, we investigate the role of different perspectives people take on their past moral and nonmoral behavior. Across two experiments, we show that when people focus on progress toward personal goals, past moral behavior leads to less future moral striving compared to past nonmoral behavior. However, when people focus on commitment toward personal goals, past moral behavior tends to lead to more future moral striving compared to past nonmoral behavior. Our results integrate seemingly contradictive empirical evidence from past research, relying on the overarching theoretical framework of goal regulation theory.

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References

1991Ethical Decision Making by Individuals in Organizations: An Issue-Contingent Model 2002The self-importance of moral identity.1966Compliance without pressure: The foot-in-the-door technique.2001Moral credentials and the expression of prejudice.2006Licensing Effect in Consumer Choice 2010Do Green Products Make Us Better People?2005Goals as Excuses or Guides: The Liberating Effect of Perceived Goal Progress on Choice 2006Subgoals as substitutes or complements: The role of goal accessibility.

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