The effect of materialism on unethical behaviour: The mediating role of self-control

Abstract

Self-enhancement values (power, achievement, and hedonism) have been found to be important predictors of ethical behaviour; however, the link between materialism (also a kind of self-enhancement value) and unethical behaviour and its underlying mechanisms have received limited attention from researchers. The present research examines the effect of materialism on unethical behaviour and the mediating role of self-control across five multi-method studies with Chinese samples. Using Chinese data from the Sixth World Values Survey, we confirmed that materialism was positively related to a variety of unethical behaviours such as fare evasion, theft, tax evasion, bribery, domestic violence, and violence against others (Study 1). In follow-up experiments, priming materialism increased unethical behaviour (Studies 2 and 3). Moreover, through a questionnaire survey, we found that self-control played a mediating role between materialism and unethical behaviour in specific social contexts (Study 4). Finally, the manipulation of high materialists' self-control reduced their unethical behaviour, further verifying the mediating role of self-control (Study 5). Our findings indicate that materialists tend to have lower levels of self-control, thus they are more likely to engage in unethical behaviours. This research supports the hot/cool system model of self-control and deepens our understanding of how materialism might lead to unethical behaviour.