The Influence of Personality on the Decision to Cheat |
| |
| Authors: | Melissa McTernan Patrick Love David Rettinger |
| |
| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Psychology , University of California , Davis;2. Psychology Department &3. Center for Honor, Leadership, &4. Service , University of Mary Washington |
| |
| Abstract: | Seventeen transgressive behaviors were studied in the context of six personality variables using survey methods. The personality variables were impulsivity, sensation seeking, empathetic perspective taking, guilt, and shame, with social desirability used as a control. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a five-factor model as having the best fit. Those five factors are competitive cheating, self-cheating, school cheating, relationship cheating, and breaking a social contract. A structural equation model indicated that only impulsivity, sensation seeking, and empathetic perspective taking were related to frequency of transgressive behaviors, thus supporting the hypothesis that moral decision making has a critical automatic component. |
| |
| Keywords: | cheating impulsivity sensation seeking guilt shame moral decisions |
|
|
