Buying unethical loyalty: A behavioral paradigm and empirical test

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Buying unethical loyalty: A behavioral paradigm and empirical test. / Thielmann, Isabel; Böhm, Robert; Hilbig, Benjamin E.

In: Social Psychological and Personality Science, Vol. 12, No. 3, 2021, p. 363-370 .

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Harvard

Thielmann, I, Böhm, R & Hilbig, BE 2021, 'Buying unethical loyalty: A behavioral paradigm and empirical test', Social Psychological and Personality Science, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 363-370 . https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550620905218

APA

Thielmann, I., Böhm, R., & Hilbig, B. E. (2021). Buying unethical loyalty: A behavioral paradigm and empirical test. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 12(3), 363-370 . https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550620905218

Vancouver

Thielmann I, Böhm R, Hilbig BE. Buying unethical loyalty: A behavioral paradigm and empirical test. Social Psychological and Personality Science. 2021;12(3):363-370 . https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550620905218

Author

Thielmann, Isabel ; Böhm, Robert ; Hilbig, Benjamin E. / Buying unethical loyalty: A behavioral paradigm and empirical test. In: Social Psychological and Personality Science. 2021 ; Vol. 12, No. 3. pp. 363-370 .

Bibtex

@article{5b30d7fb72114ac6be8d6438bf4a92ad,
title = "Buying unethical loyalty: A behavioral paradigm and empirical test",
abstract = "Unethical behavior is often accompanied by others covering up a transgressor{\textquoteright}s actions. We devised a novel behavioral paradigm, the Unethical Loyalty Game (ULG), to study individuals{\textquoteright} willingness to lie to cover up others{\textquoteright} dishonesty. Specifically, we examined (i) whether and to what extent individuals are willing to lie to cover up others{\textquoteright} unethical behavior, (ii) whether this unethical loyalty depends on the benefits (bribe) at stake, and (iii) whether trait Honesty–Humility accounts for interindividual variability in unethical loyalty. In a fully incentivized experiment (N = 288), we found a high prevalence of lying to cover up others{\textquoteright} unethical behavior, which increased with increasing bribes. In turn, unethical loyalty decreased with individuals{\textquoteright} Honesty–Humility levels. Overall, the findings show that most but not all individuals are corruptible to disguise others{\textquoteright} transgressions. Future research using the ULG can help to further illuminate (the determinants of) this prevalent type of unethical behavior.",
keywords = "Faculty of Social Sciences, unethical loyalty, cover-up, dishonesty, bribing, Honesty–Humility",
author = "Isabel Thielmann and Robert B{\"o}hm and Hilbig, {Benjamin E.}",
year = "2021",
doi = "10.1177/1948550620905218",
language = "English",
volume = "12",
pages = "363--370 ",
journal = "Social Psychological and Personality Science",
issn = "1948-5506",
publisher = "SAGE Publications",
number = "3",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Buying unethical loyalty: A behavioral paradigm and empirical test

AU - Thielmann, Isabel

AU - Böhm, Robert

AU - Hilbig, Benjamin E.

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Unethical behavior is often accompanied by others covering up a transgressor’s actions. We devised a novel behavioral paradigm, the Unethical Loyalty Game (ULG), to study individuals’ willingness to lie to cover up others’ dishonesty. Specifically, we examined (i) whether and to what extent individuals are willing to lie to cover up others’ unethical behavior, (ii) whether this unethical loyalty depends on the benefits (bribe) at stake, and (iii) whether trait Honesty–Humility accounts for interindividual variability in unethical loyalty. In a fully incentivized experiment (N = 288), we found a high prevalence of lying to cover up others’ unethical behavior, which increased with increasing bribes. In turn, unethical loyalty decreased with individuals’ Honesty–Humility levels. Overall, the findings show that most but not all individuals are corruptible to disguise others’ transgressions. Future research using the ULG can help to further illuminate (the determinants of) this prevalent type of unethical behavior.

AB - Unethical behavior is often accompanied by others covering up a transgressor’s actions. We devised a novel behavioral paradigm, the Unethical Loyalty Game (ULG), to study individuals’ willingness to lie to cover up others’ dishonesty. Specifically, we examined (i) whether and to what extent individuals are willing to lie to cover up others’ unethical behavior, (ii) whether this unethical loyalty depends on the benefits (bribe) at stake, and (iii) whether trait Honesty–Humility accounts for interindividual variability in unethical loyalty. In a fully incentivized experiment (N = 288), we found a high prevalence of lying to cover up others’ unethical behavior, which increased with increasing bribes. In turn, unethical loyalty decreased with individuals’ Honesty–Humility levels. Overall, the findings show that most but not all individuals are corruptible to disguise others’ transgressions. Future research using the ULG can help to further illuminate (the determinants of) this prevalent type of unethical behavior.

KW - Faculty of Social Sciences

KW - unethical loyalty

KW - cover-up

KW - dishonesty

KW - bribing

KW - Honesty–Humility

U2 - 10.1177/1948550620905218

DO - 10.1177/1948550620905218

M3 - Journal article

VL - 12

SP - 363

EP - 370

JO - Social Psychological and Personality Science

JF - Social Psychological and Personality Science

SN - 1948-5506

IS - 3

ER -

ID: 241313451