TY - JOUR

T1 - Making Rights From Wrongs

T2 - The Crucial Role of Beliefs and Justifications for the Expression of Aversive Personality

AU - Hilbig, Benjamin E.

AU - Moshagen, Morten

AU - Thielmann, Isabel

AU - Zettler, Ingo

N1 - Funding Information: Preparation of this article was supported by Grants HI 1600/6-1 and HI 1600/1-2 from the German Research Foundation (DFG) to Benjamin E. Hilbig, and Grant 7024-00057B from the Independent Research Fund Denmark to Ingo Zettler. We are greatly indebted to Stefan Pfattheicher for feedback on an earlier article version. Publisher Copyright: © 2022. American Psychological Association

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Whereas research focusing on stable dispositions has long attributed ethically and socially aversive behavior to an array of aversive (or “dark”) traits, other approaches from social–cognitive psychology and behavioral economics have emphasized the crucial role of social norms and situational justifications that allow individuals to uphold a positive self-image despite their harmful actions. We bridge these research traditions by focusing on the common core of aversive traits (the dark factor of personality [D]) and its defining aspect of involving diverse beliefs that serve to construct justifications. In particular, we theoretically specify the processes by which D is expressed in aversive behavior—namely, through diverse beliefs and the justifications they serve. In six studies (total N >25,000) we demonstrate (a) that D involves higher subjective justifiability of those aversive behaviors that individuals high in D are more likely to engage in, (b) that D uniquely relates to diverse descriptive and injunctive beliefs—related to distrust (e.g., cynicism), hierarchy (e.g., authoritarianism), and relativism (e.g., normlessness)— that serve to justify aversive behavior, and (c) a theoretically derived pattern of moderations and mediations supporting the view that D accounts for aversive behavior because it fosters subjective justifiability thereof—at least in part owing to certain beliefs and the justifications they afford. More generally, our findings highlight the role of (social) cognitions within the conceptual definitions of personality traits and processes through which they are expressed in behavior.

AB - Whereas research focusing on stable dispositions has long attributed ethically and socially aversive behavior to an array of aversive (or “dark”) traits, other approaches from social–cognitive psychology and behavioral economics have emphasized the crucial role of social norms and situational justifications that allow individuals to uphold a positive self-image despite their harmful actions. We bridge these research traditions by focusing on the common core of aversive traits (the dark factor of personality [D]) and its defining aspect of involving diverse beliefs that serve to construct justifications. In particular, we theoretically specify the processes by which D is expressed in aversive behavior—namely, through diverse beliefs and the justifications they serve. In six studies (total N >25,000) we demonstrate (a) that D involves higher subjective justifiability of those aversive behaviors that individuals high in D are more likely to engage in, (b) that D uniquely relates to diverse descriptive and injunctive beliefs—related to distrust (e.g., cynicism), hierarchy (e.g., authoritarianism), and relativism (e.g., normlessness)— that serve to justify aversive behavior, and (c) a theoretically derived pattern of moderations and mediations supporting the view that D accounts for aversive behavior because it fosters subjective justifiability thereof—at least in part owing to certain beliefs and the justifications they afford. More generally, our findings highlight the role of (social) cognitions within the conceptual definitions of personality traits and processes through which they are expressed in behavior.

KW - Attitudes and beliefs

KW - Dark factor of personality

KW - Dark traits

KW - Justifications

KW - Socially and ethically aversive behavior

U2 - 10.1037/xge0001232

DO - 10.1037/xge0001232

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 35708954

AN - SCOPUS:85133123177

VL - 151

SP - 2730

EP - 2755

JO - Journal of Experimental Psychology: General

JF - Journal of Experimental Psychology: General

SN - 0096-3445

IS - 11

ER -