Authors
Mengchen Dong
Publication date
2021/2/25
Description
People do not always align what they do with what they say, and such misalignment is often condemned as hypocrisy (Alicke et al., 2013; Batson et al., 1997, 2002, 1999; Effron, O’Connor, et al., 2018; Jordan et al., 2017; Stone & Fernandez, 2008). Hypocrisy can be especially detrimental to others and collective goods when it comes to issues about right or wrong, and the relative balance of self-versus social interest (ie, morality). One of the most striking cases of moral hypocrisy in contemporary human societies may be environmental protection. For instance, while more than 90% of the European citizens indicate that protecting the environment is important to them personally, merely one-third of them have regularly taken environmentally friendly actions like avoiding single-use plastic goods (Eurobarometer, 2019). Despite its prevalence and societal detriments, there is limited evidence on (a) why people behave hypocritically, and (b) how social others perceive and interact with moral hypocrites. Here, moral hypocrisy is defined as inconsistent behaviors that endow the actors with undeserved moral benefits (eg, Batson et al., 1997, 2002, 1999; Effron & Miller, 2015; Effron, O’Connor, et al., 2018). Thus, the present dissertation aims to illuminate the behavioral regulatory mechanisms of moral hypocrisy at both (a) intrapersonal and (b) interpersonal levels. It is also expected to shed light on potential intervention schemes to promote actions of moral integrity in pivotal domains of social life including work ethics, politics, philanthropy, and sustainability. Specifically, the present dissertation contributes to the understanding of moral hypocrisy by …
Total citations