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Taking shortcuts: Cognitive conflict during motivated rule-breaking

Author

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  • Pfister, Roland
  • Wirth, Robert
  • Weller, Lisa
  • Foerster, Anna
  • Schwarz, Katharina A.

Abstract

Deliberate rule violations have typically been addressed from a motivational perspective that asked whether or not agents decide to violate rules based on contextual factors and moral considerations. Here we complement motivational approaches by providing a cognitive perspective on the processes that operate during the act of committing an unsolicited rule violation. Participants were tested in a task that allowed for violating traffic rules by exploiting forbidden shortcuts in a virtual city maze. Results yielded evidence for sustained cognitive conflict that affected performance from right before a violation throughout actually committing the violation. These findings open up a new theoretical perspective on violation behavior that focuses on processes occurring right at the moment a rule violation takes place.

Suggested Citation

  • Pfister, Roland & Wirth, Robert & Weller, Lisa & Foerster, Anna & Schwarz, Katharina A., 2019. "Taking shortcuts: Cognitive conflict during motivated rule-breaking," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 138-147.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joepsy:v:71:y:2019:i:c:p:138-147
    DOI: 10.1016/j.joep.2018.06.005
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Rule breaking; Optimizing violations; Cognitive conflict; Cheating;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making

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