Ethical Decision-Making: Contemporary Research on the Role of the Self
Cognition and Emotions
Decision Making
First published: 15 May 2015
Abstract
How do people decide when facing dilemmas that pit self-interested gains against ethical values? We highlight two key principles from contemporary behavioral research: (i) people are more willing to act unethically when they can convince themselves that their behavior does not reflect poorly on their moral character and (ii) people tend to be content with an “ethical enough” self-image. We examine how these principles shed light on the antecedents and consequences of ethical behavior, emphasizing situational determinants and psychological processes. We close by considering important questions that remain unanswered, and discuss how furthering our understanding the role of the self in ethical decision-making can be used to nudge people toward more ethical behavior.
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Further Reading
- Benney, K. S., & Henkel, L. A. (2006). The role of free choice in memory for past decisions. Memory, 14(8), 1001–1011.
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