Abstract
In this research, we draw on the characteristics of disgust-an affective state that prompts a self-protection response-to demonstrate that experiencing disgust can also increase self-interested, unethical behaviors such as cheating. This series of studies contributes to the literature demonstrating context-specific effects on self-interested, unethical behavior. Specifically, we show that innocuous emotion-eliciting cues can elicit a focus on the protection of one's own welfare, leading people to engage in self-interested behaviors that are unethical. This research provides evidence that the importance of clean physical environments may extend beyond visual beautification of surroundings to include economic behaviors.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 151-161 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes |
Volume | 125 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 1 2014 |
Keywords
- Cleansing
- Disgust
- Emotion
- Self-interested behavior
- Self-protection
- Unethical behavior
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Applied Psychology
- Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management