IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i19p12249-d926764.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Moral Disengagement as a Self-Regulatory Cognitive Process of Transgressions: Psychometric Evidence of the Bandura Scale in Chilean Adolescents

Author

Listed:
  • Andrés Concha-Salgado

    (Department of Psychology, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811322, Chile)

  • Angélica Ramírez

    (Department of Psychology, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811322, Chile
    School of Psychology, Universidad de Las Américas, Santiago 7500975, Chile)

  • Beatriz Pérez

    (Department of Psychology, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811322, Chile
    Department of Psychology, Universidad de Oviedo, 33003 Oviedo, Spain)

  • Ricardo Pérez-Luco

    (Department of Psychology, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811322, Chile)

  • Eduardo García-Cueto

    (Department of Psychology, Universidad de Oviedo, 33003 Oviedo, Spain)

Abstract

Moral disengagement is a process of cognitive restructuring that allows individuals to disassociate from their internal moral standards and behave unethically without feeling distressed. It has been described as a key predictor of maladaptive behaviors (e.g., delinquency, aggression, and cyberbullying) and as a mediator between individual variables and unethical outcomes (e.g., empathy and aggression). We aimed to provide evidence of validity based on the internal structure, reliability, and correlations with other constructs of the most used instrument to measure disengagement from moral self-sanctions: Bandura’s Mechanisms of Moral Disengagement Scale (MMDS). A non-probabilistic national sample of 528 Chilean adolescents from 14 to 18 years participated in the study. The results showed that the 10-item version of the MMDS had a unidimensional structure and good internal consistency. As expected, the MMDS-10 showed positive and medium correlations with abusive, violent antisocial, and delinquent behaviors and negative and medium associations with prosocial behavior and empathy. Additionally, moral disengagement fully mediated the relationship between empathy and violent antisocial behavior, supporting the hypothesis on moral disengagement as a self-regulatory cognitive process. The results confirm previous research, and the findings are discussed in terms of their implications for reducing the use of moral disengagement strategies in adolescence.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrés Concha-Salgado & Angélica Ramírez & Beatriz Pérez & Ricardo Pérez-Luco & Eduardo García-Cueto, 2022. "Moral Disengagement as a Self-Regulatory Cognitive Process of Transgressions: Psychometric Evidence of the Bandura Scale in Chilean Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-25, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:19:p:12249-:d:926764
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/19/12249/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/19/12249/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chiara Rollero & Norma De Piccoli, 2020. "Myths about Intimate Partner Violence and Moral Disengagement: An Analysis of Sociocultural Dimensions Sustaining Violence against Women," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-11, November.
    2. Bandura, Albert, 1991. "Social cognitive theory of self-regulation," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 248-287, December.
    3. Isabel Cuadrado-Gordillo & Inmaculada Fernández-Antelo & Guadalupe Martín-Mora Parra, 2020. "Moral Disengagement as a Moderating Factor in the Relationship between the Perception of Dating Violence and Victimization," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-14, July.
    4. Ulf Schaefer & Onno Bouwmeester, 2021. "Reconceptualizing Moral Disengagement as a Process: Transcending Overly Liberal and Overly Conservative Practice in the Field," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 172(3), pages 525-543, September.
    5. Andrea Chirico & Fabio Lucidi & Gennaro Pica & Daniela Di Santo & Federica Galli & Fabio Alivernini & Luca Mallia & Arnaldo Zelli & Arie W. Kruglanski & Antonio Pierro, 2021. "The Motivational Underpinnings of Intentions to Use Doping in Sport: A Sample of Young Non-Professional Athletes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-13, May.
    6. Yariv Itzkovich & Ella Barhon & Rachel Lev-Wiesel, 2021. "Health and Risk Behaviors of Bystanders: An Integrative Theoretical Model of Bystanders’ Reactions to Mistreatment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-14, May.
    7. Daniel Falla & Rosario Ortega-Ruiz & Eva M. Romera, 2021. "Mechanisms of Moral Disengagement in the Transition from Cybergossip to Cyberaggression: A Longitudinal Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-12, January.
    8. Isabel Cuadrado-Gordillo & Inmaculada Fernández-Antelo & Guadalupe Martín-Mora Parra, 2020. "Search for the Profile of the Victim of Adolescent Dating Violence: An Intersection of Cognitive, Emotional, and Behavioral Variables," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-14, October.
    9. Inmaculada Fernández-Antelo & Isabel Cuadrado-Gordillo, 2019. "Moral Disengagement as an Explanatory Factor of the Polyivictimization of Bullying and Cyberbullying," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-13, July.
    10. Fuad Bakioğlu & Bahtiyar Eraslan Çapan, 2019. "Moral Disengagement and Cyber Bullying, A Mediator Role of Emphatic Tendency," International Journal of Technoethics (IJT), IGI Global, vol. 10(2), pages 22-34, July.
    11. Marina Begoña Martínez-González & Claudia Patricia Arenas-Rivera & Aura Alicia Cardozo-Rusinque & Aldair Ricardo Morales-Cuadro & Mónica Acuña-Rodríguez & Yamile Turizo-Palencia & Vicente Javier Cleme, 2021. "Psychological and Gender Differences in a Simulated Cheating Coercion Situation at School," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-13, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Isabel Cuadrado Gordillo & Guadalupe Martín-Mora Parra & Inmaculada Fernández Antelo, 2021. "Association of Addictive Substance Use with Polyvictimization and Acceptance of Violence in Adolescent Couples," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-12, July.
    2. Juan de D. Benítez-Sillero & José M. Armada Crespo & Esther Ruiz Córdoba & Javier Raya-González, 2021. "Relationship between Amount, Type, Enjoyment of Physical Activity and Physical Education Performance with Cyberbullying in Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-12, February.
    3. Isabel Cuadrado-Gordillo & Guadalupe Martín-Mora-Parra & Ismael Puig-Amores, 2022. "Analysis of Representations of the Aid That Public Psychological Support Points Provide to Adolescent Female Victims of Gender-Based Violence: Reformulation of Policies and Practices," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-21, July.
    4. Carlos Bazan, 2022. "Effect of the University’s Environment and Support System on Subjective Social Norms as Precursor of the Entrepreneurial Intention of Students," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(4), pages 21582440221, October.
    5. Irene Chu & Mai Chi Vu, 2022. "The Nature of the Self, Self-regulation and Moral Action: Implications from the Confucian Relational Self and Buddhist Non-self," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(1), pages 245-262, September.
    6. Church, Bryan K. & Kuang, Xi (Jason) & Liu, Yuebing (Sarah), 2019. "The effects of measurement basis and slack benefits on honesty in budget reporting," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 74-84.
    7. Ana Ramírez-Adrados & Valentín E. Fernández-Elías & Silvia Fernández-Martínez & Beatriz Martínez-Pascual & Cristina Gonzalez-de-Ramos & Vicente Javier Clemente-Suárez, 2022. "The Effect of Studying a Double Degree in the Psychophysiological Stress Response in the Bachelor’s Thesis Defense," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-11, January.
    8. Narwal, Preeti & Rai, Shivam, 2022. "Individual differences and moral disengagement in Pay-What-You-Want pricing," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 528-547.
    9. Xu, Xiaojing & Chen, Chien-fei & Zhu, Xiaojuan & Hu, Qinran, 2018. "Promoting acceptance of direct load control programs in the United States: Financial incentive versus control option," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 1278-1287.
    10. Jaeyeob Jeong & Myeonggil Choi, 2017. "The Expected Job Satisfaction Affecting Entrepreneurial Intention as Career Choice in the Cultural and Artistic Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-16, September.
    11. Jay A. Richards & Martin P. Johnson, 2014. "A Case for Theoretical Integration," SAGE Open, , vol. 4(2), pages 21582440145, May.
    12. Pedro Marques-Quinteiro & Luís Curral & Ana Passos, 2012. "Adapting The Revised Self-Leadership Questionnaire to The Portuguese Context," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 108(3), pages 553-564, September.
    13. Yi Sun & Shihui Li & Lingling Yu, 2022. "The dark sides of AI personal assistant: effects of service failure on user continuance intention," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 32(1), pages 17-39, March.
    14. Eldor, Liat & Hodor, Michal & Cappelli, Peter, 2023. "The limits of psychological safety: Nonlinear relationships with performance," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    15. Nur Hazelen Mat Rusok Author_Email: hazelen@kelantan.uitm.edu.my & Mohamed Husny Basir & PM Dr. Zainudin Awang & Farahiyah Akmal Mat Nawi, 2011. "The Influence Of Constructive Thought Pattern Strategies On Entrepreneur Innovative Behavior," Annual Summit on Business and Entrepreneurial Studies (ASBES 2011) Proceeding 2011-034-087, Conference Master Resources.
    16. Mohammed-Aminu Sanda, 2011. "Managerial Self-efficacy and Discretionary Behavior Improving Work Environment for Small Firm Performance," Information Management and Business Review, AMH International, vol. 2(6), pages 259-266.
    17. Ooi Pei-Boon & Wan Marzuki Wan Jaafar & Ang Chin-Siang & Chan Nee-Nee, 2020. "Psychometric Properties of the Sources of Counseling Self Efficacy in a Sample of Malaysian Secondary School Counselors," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(1), pages 21582440209, January.
    18. Sabrina Harris & Michael Brooks & Robin Liles & Glacia Ethridge & Quinton Boston & Kacie Blalock, 2019. "Understanding Differences between CORE and CACREP Counselors-in-Training Perceptions of Self-Efficacy," International Journal of Social Science Studies, Redfame publishing, vol. 7(1), pages 40-52, January.
    19. Liu, Dewen & Han, Shenghao & Zhang, Jieqiong, 2022. "The golden mean: Research on the mechanism of customer participation in employee service innovation," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    20. Zhiya Hua & Dandan Ma, 2022. "Depression and Perceived Social Support among Unemployed Youths in China: Investigating the Roles of Emotion-Regulation Difficulties and Self-Efficacy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-15, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:19:p:12249-:d:926764. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.