Understanding the Effect of Morality and Competing Values on the Decision to Offend
Disciplines
Criminology | Social Control, Law, Crime, and Deviance
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Criminologists are beginning to develop a framework for describing the nature and role of morality in the onset and continuation of deviant behavior and crime. This project adopts moral psychological perspectives to measure the impact of our moral systems and values on our willingness to engage in offending behaviors in a range of environments, including digital spaces. Recent studies have found evidence for a correlational link between moral values and the decision to engage in deviant behavior. Outcomes of this work contribute to (1) validating a new measure of morality and decision-making and (2) driving future work on building theories on the intersection of morality, crime, and decision-making.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS - Sociology & Criminal Justice
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Lisa Thompson
Understanding the Effect of Morality and Competing Values on the Decision to Offend
Criminologists are beginning to develop a framework for describing the nature and role of morality in the onset and continuation of deviant behavior and crime. This project adopts moral psychological perspectives to measure the impact of our moral systems and values on our willingness to engage in offending behaviors in a range of environments, including digital spaces. Recent studies have found evidence for a correlational link between moral values and the decision to engage in deviant behavior. Outcomes of this work contribute to (1) validating a new measure of morality and decision-making and (2) driving future work on building theories on the intersection of morality, crime, and decision-making.