Observation Moderates the Moral Licensing Effect: A Meta-Analytic Test of Interpersonal and Intrapsychic Mechanisms
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
Published online on July 08, 2025
Abstract
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Ahead of Print.
Moral licensing occurs when someone who initially behaves morally subsequently acts less morally. We apply reputation-based theories to predict when and why it occurs. As pre-registered, we predicted: (1) being observed would be associated with larger ...
Moral licensing occurs when someone who initially behaves morally subsequently acts less morally. We apply reputation-based theories to predict when and why it occurs. As pre-registered, we predicted: (1) being observed would be associated with larger ...