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, Volume 52, Issue 9, Page 2792-2808, September 2026.
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 ...