Behavior May Improve When We Anticipate Tempation

New research shows that anticipating temptation could help to improve behavior.

Researchers at the University of Chicago found that when facing an ethical dilemma for a longer period of time regarding a certain temptation, some participants could think about the long-term consequences of misbehaving and how this could potentially improve their behavior by exercising self-control.

For the study, they worked on a series of experiments that involved ethical dilemmas like being sick at work and negotiating a home sale.

"Unethical behavior is rampant across various domains ranging from business and politics to education and sports," researcher Ayelet Fishbach said in a statement. "Organizations seeking to improve ethical behavior can do so by helping people recognize the cumulative impact of unethical acts and by providing warning cues for upcoming temptation."

The findings revealed that two factors specifically helped to promote ethical behavior, including connecting similar incidents and anticipating the temptation to act unethically that are more likely to result in behaving more honestly than participants who do not.

In other words, some people are more likely to involve themselves in unethical behavior if they believe that the act is part of an isolated incident and they do not think about it ahead of time.

Researchers believe that with more information, the study results could help officials devise strategies to encourage people to behave more ethically.

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

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