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Sjögren B, Thornberg R, Kim J, Hong JS, Kloo M. Basic moral sensitivity, moral disengagement, and defender self-efficacy as predictors of students' self-reported bystander behaviors over a school year: a growth curve analysis. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1378755. [PMID: 38962218 PMCID: PMC11221365 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1378755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Though school children tend to view peer victimization as morally wrong most do not to intervene on the victim's behalf and some instead choose to aid the victimizer. The aim of this longitudinal study was to investigate how students' defending and pro-aggressive bystander behaviors evolved over the course of one school year and their association to basic moral sensitivity, moral disengagement, and defender self-efficacy. Three-hundred-fifty-three upper elementary school students (55% girls; 9.9-12.9 years of age) each completed self-report surveys at three points during one school year. Results from latent growth curve models showed that pro-aggressive bystander behavior remained stable over the year, whereas defending behavior decreased. Moreover, students who exhibited greater basic moral sensitivity were both less likely to be pro-aggressive and simultaneously more likely to defend. Students with defender self-efficacy were not only associated with more defending behavior at baseline but also were also less likely to decrease in defender behavior over time. Conversely, students reporting a higher degree of moral disengagement were linked to more pro-aggressive behavior, particularly when also reporting lower basic moral sensitivity. These short-term longitudinal results add important insight into the change in bystander behavior over time and how it relates to students' sense of morality. The results also highlight the practical necessity for schools to nurture students' sense of morality and prosocial behavior in their efforts to curb peer victimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Björn Sjögren
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Robert Thornberg
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Jingu Kim
- Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands
| | - Jun Sung Hong
- School of Social Work, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Mattias Kloo
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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Piccardi L, Burrai J, Palmiero M, Quaglieri A, Lausi G, Cordellieri P, Fraschetti A, Giannini AM, Mari E. A cross-sectional study of gender role adherence, moral disengagement mechanisms and online vulnerability in adolescents. Heliyon 2023; 9:e18910. [PMID: 37593623 PMCID: PMC10428035 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The wide availability of electronic devices accessible to teenagers has enabled them to use the internet to communicate, share, and obtain information. However, the use of the internet and social media has also increased the risk of vulnerability, exposing people, particularly adolescents, to several risks. We collected data from a sample of 366 adolescents (186 females and 180 males) aged 14-20 years (mean age = 17 ± 1.33 years) to investigate the mediating role of moral disengagement (MD) mechanisms in the relationship between gender and online vulnerability. Data were collected in both the inner-city and suburban high schools of Rome (Italy) using the Qualtrics Platform Online. The participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Online Vulnerability Scale, and the Civic Moral Disengagement Scale. All participants declared that they accessed and used the internet frequently. Using SPSS, the data were checked for outliers, common method bias, and normal distribution; then, correlation and mediation analyses were performed. Based on the correlation results, a mediation analysis was performed using only the displacement of responsibility as a mediator of the gender-online vulnerability link. Age was entered in the mediation model as a covariate. The results showed that girls were more vulnerable online than boys, who in turn used more moral disengagement mechanisms. In addition, moral displacement showed a positive indirect effect on the relationship between gender and online vulnerability. This means that when including the moral displacement in the mediation model boys appeared more exposed to online vulnerability as they probably adopted more immoral behaviors. These results could help to develop interventions to sensitize adolescents on both taking responsibilities for their actions on the Internet. Limitations and future research directions are briefly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Piccardi
- Department of Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185, Rome, RM, Italy
- San Raffaele Cassino Hospital, 03043, Cassino, Italy
| | - Jessica Burrai
- Department of Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185, Rome, RM, Italy
| | | | | | - Giulia Lausi
- Department of Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185, Rome, RM, Italy
| | | | - Angelo Fraschetti
- Department of Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185, Rome, RM, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Giannini
- Department of Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185, Rome, RM, Italy
| | - Emanuela Mari
- Department of Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185, Rome, RM, Italy
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Xie Z, Liu C, Teng Z. The Effect of Everyday Moral Sensitivity on Bullying Bystander Behavior: Parallel Mediating Roles of Empathy and Moral Disengagement. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2023; 38:7678-7701. [PMID: 36636877 DOI: 10.1177/08862605221147071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The higher moral sensitivity to bullying a student has, the more likely they are to help the victim or inhibit bullying rather than ignore it. Research has mainly focused on particular sensitivity to bullying, and it remains unknown whether sensitivity to everyday moral issues functions similarly. The present study aimed to examine the effect of everyday moral sensitivity (EMS) on bullying bystander behaviors. We included a range of school children (n = 1,655, Grades 3-12, 27.6% girls) in Southwest China. The results show 6.10% have been a victim-only, 0.48% have been a bully-only, 0.85% have been the bullying victim, 92.57% have been neither a bully nor a bullying victim, and 45.86% have observed bullying. Students in lower grades are more likely to be bullied. After controlling for covariates (i.e., gender, grade, and social desirability), EMS is positively associated with positive bystander behaviors. Moreover, empathy and moral disengagement (MD) play a mediating role in the relationship between EMS and positive bystander behaviors. The results reveal two parallel processes of EMS influenced bystander behaviors (i.e., empathy and MD). The findings indicate the possibility of cultivating EMS and highlight the role of morality development in preventing school bullying.
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Wang C, Li X, Xia LX. Long-term effect of cybervictimization on displaced aggressive behavior across two years: Mutually predicting mediators of hostile emotion and moral disengagement. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2022.107611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Ye Z, Wu D, He X, Ma Q, Peng J, Mao G, Feng L, Tong Y. Meta-analysis of the relationship between bullying and depressive symptoms in children and adolescents. BMC Psychiatry 2023; 23:215. [PMID: 36997959 PMCID: PMC10061722 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-04681-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
AbstractChildhood and adolescence are critical periods for physical and mental development; thus, they are high-risk periods for the occurrence of mental disorders. The purpose of this study was to systematically evaluate the association between bullying and depressive symptoms in children and adolescents. We searched the PubMed, MEDLINE and other databases to identify studies related to bullying behavior and depressive symptoms in children and adolescents. A total of 31 studies were included, with a total sample size of 133,688 people. The results of the meta-analysis showed that the risk of depression in children and adolescents who were bullied was 2.77 times higher than that of those who were not bullied; the risk of depression in bullying individuals was 1.73 times higher than that in nonbullying individuals; and the risk of depression in individuals who bullied and experienced bullying was 3.19 times higher than that in nonbullying-bullied individuals. This study confirmed that depression in children and adolescents was significantly associated with being bullied, bullying, and bullying-bullied behavior. However, these findings are limited by the quantity and quality of the included studies and need to be confirmed by future studies.
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Minimizing responsibility in the aggressive dynamics of bullying and its impact on other strategies of moral disengagement: a longitudinal study. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-04229-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
AbstractNot assuming responsibility, or minimizing it, after committing an offence is one of the four moral disengagement strategies linked to the phenomenon of bullying described by the Social Cognitive Theory. However, to date, there has been no research into the role of the agent’s locus in this process and the mediating effect of bullying perpetration in the possible evolutionary sequencing of moral disengagement strategies. This study addresses both of these goals. A total of 1107 schoolchildren (54.7% girls; Mage = 14.49; SD = 0.789) were surveyed in a longitudinal study at three time points spaced six months apart. The results indicated that minimizing responsibility directly predicts both cognitive restructuring and distortion of consequences. They also confirmed that aggressive perpetration in bullying has a mediating effect on all three strategies. Nevertheless, this sequential dynamic does not include dehumanization, which was not directly linked to minimizing responsibility and was mediated by the perpetration of aggression in bullying. We discuss the extent to which minimizing responsibility is the first step in a temporal sequence of moral disengagement mechanisms that help maintain the aggressive dynamic in bullying, so that it stimulates the other mechanisms and incorporates the locus of the aggressive agent. These findings allow us to advance in our understanding of the ethical dimension (sensitivity and moral criteria) implicit in the phenomenon of unjustified aggressiveness known as bullying.
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Cyberbullying experience and bystander behavior in cyberbullying incidents: The serial mediating roles of perceived incident severity and empathy. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2022.107484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Francisco SM, Ferreira PC, Veiga Simão AM. Behind the scenes of cyberbullying: personal and normative beliefs across profiles and moral disengagement mechanisms. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENCE AND YOUTH 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/02673843.2022.2095215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sofia M. Francisco
- Faculdade de Psicologia, CICPSI, Alameda da Universidade, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Foundation for Science and Technology of the Science and Education Ministry of Portugal (SFRH/BD/130982/2017), Portugal
- Research Center for Psychological Science of the Faculty of Psychology, University of Lisbon, Portugal (CICPSI; UIDB/04527/2020 and UIDP/04527/2020)
| | - Paula C. Ferreira
- Faculdade de Psicologia, CICPSI, Alameda da Universidade, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Research Center for Psychological Science of the Faculty of Psychology, University of Lisbon, Portugal (CICPSI; UIDB/04527/2020 and UIDP/04527/2020)
| | - Ana M. Veiga Simão
- Faculdade de Psicologia, CICPSI, Alameda da Universidade, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Research Center for Psychological Science of the Faculty of Psychology, University of Lisbon, Portugal (CICPSI; UIDB/04527/2020 and UIDP/04527/2020)
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Liu L, Wang X, Chen B, Chui WH, Wang X. Association between Child Abuse, Depression, and School Bullying among Chinese Secondary School Students. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 20:697. [PMID: 36613015 PMCID: PMC9819395 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20010697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION School bullying is a serious social and public health problem. This article aims to explore the association between experiences of childhood abuse and involvement in school bullying, especially considering the mediating effects of depression. METHODS The sample of this study was 3059 students (1584 males and 1475 females) aged from 12 to 20, in eleven Chinese secondary schools, which included six middle schools, four high schools, and one vocational high school in both urban and rural areas. The multinomial logit regression and linear regression were conducted by the two gender groups, to determine the mediating effect of depression in the association between child abuse experiences and involvement in school bullying. RESULTS This study indicated that female students were less likely to be involved in school bullying. Male students were more represented in the bully-victim group and experienced more physical and mental abuse during childhood. Depression was a mediator between childhood abuse and involvement in school bullying. Nevertheless, there was a gender difference in that depression fully mediated the relationship between the two variables among female students, while it only partially meditated such a relationship for male students. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that more school-based service interventions and evidence-based research are needed to more thoroughly investigate school bullying and its predictors in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu Liu
- School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Xiaotao Wang
- School of Social Development, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210097, China
| | - Binli Chen
- School of Social Development and Public Policy, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Wing-Hong Chui
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiying Wang
- Institute for Education Theories, Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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Luo A, Bussey K. Mediating role of moral disengagement in the perpetration of cyberbullying by victims and bystanders. J Adolesc 2022; 94:1142-1149. [PMID: 36131510 DOI: 10.1002/jad.12092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Proliferation of internet use in adolescence has resulted in an increase in cyberbullying. Previous experiences of cyber victimization and cyber bystanding are commonly linked with cyberbullying perpetration, allowing the bullying cycle to persist. Moral disengagement is one factor that may facilitate victims and bystanders to later perpetrate cyberbullying. The process occurs through enlistment of justificatory strategies to enable individuals to perpetrate without feeling remorse. The present study investigates the potential role of moral disengagement in the perpetration of cyberbullying by victims and bystanders. METHODS Young people (N = 563, Mage = 13.52, SD = 1.04) recruited from Australian schools completed a cross-sectional self-report survey comprising of validated measures of moral disengagement, and involvement in cyberbullying across different roles (perpetration, victimization, and bystanding). RESULTS Findings indicated that moral disengagement significantly mediated the link between victimization and perpetration, and between bystanding and perpetration. Specifically, victims and bystanders engage in cyber perpetration through enlisting moral disengagement strategies. CONCLUSIONS Moral disengagement may, therefore, be one factor that mediates the association between cyber victimization and cyber bystanding, and cyber perpetration. Understanding mechanisms by which victims and bystanders engage in perpetration have implications for supporting victims and bystanders in antibullying strategies to minimize the occurrence of cyber perpetration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aileen Luo
- Centre for Emotional Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kay Bussey
- Centre for Emotional Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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11
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Bullying in adolescence: how do emotional traits distinguish those involved? CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-03956-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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12
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Kaur M, Saini M. Indian government initiatives on cyberbullying: A case study on cyberbullying in Indian higher education institutions. EDUCATION AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES 2022; 28:581-615. [PMID: 35814802 PMCID: PMC9251041 DOI: 10.1007/s10639-022-11168-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In the digitally empowered society, increased internet utilization leads to potential harm to the youth through cyberbullying on various social networking platforms. The cyberbullying stats keep on rising each year, leading to detrimental consequences. In response to this online threat, the Indian Government launched different helplines, especially for the children and women who need assistance, various complaint boxes, cyber cells, and made strict legal provisions to curb online offenses. This research evaluates the relevant initiatives. Additionally, a survey is conducted to get insights into cyberbullying in higher education institutions, discussing multiple factors responsible for youth and adolescents being cyberbullied and a few measures to combat it in universities/colleges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manpreet Kaur
- Department of Computer Engineering and Technology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab India
| | - Munish Saini
- Department of Computer Engineering and Technology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab India
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Associations between type D personality, moral disengagement, and cyber aggression among university students. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-02578-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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14
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Stability and change in longitudinal patterns of antisocial behaviors: The role of social and emotional competencies, empathy, and morality. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-02484-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Studies show that different types of antisocial behaviors share similar risk and protective factors related to particular social, emotional and moral competencies. Nevertheless, little is known about the longitudinal relation of social, emotional and moral competencies with patterns of antisocial behaviors in youth. The present study aimed to discover the longitudinal relations between social and emotional competencies, empathy, moral emotions, moral disengagement, and perceived moral disengagement induced by parents, and the patterns of antisocial behaviors and change in these patterns over time. A sample of 898 Spanish students aged between 9 and 17 was followed up for one year. Self-reported data were analyzed using latent transition analyses and multinomial regressions. Results showed that age, several mechanisms of moral disengagement, perceived parental moral disengagement induction, and several social and emotional competencies predicted offenders outside of school and highly antisocial and victimized patterns, including their stability over time. Moreover, males at early ages and perceived parental moral disengagement induction predicted the high bullying victimization pattern. Being a male, with high victim dehumanizing and blaming, predicted stability of the high bullying victimization pattern. Being a male, early ages, and low responsible decision-making predicted changes from the high bullying victimization pattern to the low antisocial pattern. Results are discussed emphasizing the need to conduct prevention and intervention programs from a comprehensive perspective promoting social, emotional and moral competencies. This study could have useful implications for prevention and intervention focused on decreasing risk and increasing protective factors.
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Falla D, Romera EM, Ortega-Ruiz R. Aggression, Moral Disengagement and Empathy. A Longitudinal Study Within the Interpersonal Dynamics of Bullying. Front Psychol 2021; 12:703468. [PMID: 34566782 PMCID: PMC8461074 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.703468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Moral disengagement and empathy have been linked to aggression in traditional bullying. A number of longitudinal studies have focused on how these variables predict aggressive behavior within the dynamics of bullying. However, no conclusive results have been produced as to whether aggressive behavior in bullying can predict lower levels of empathy, and to date, no studies have explored in depth the mediating role of moral disengagement strategies in this relationship, which is the aim of this study. A total of 1,810 students (51.0% girls; Mage = 14.50; SD = 1.05) completed a survey in three waves at 6-month intervals. The results showed that aggressive behavior in bullying at Time 1 was inversely related to affective and cognitive empathy at Time 3. Minimization of responsibility, distortion of consequences and dehumanizing mediated in the aggressive behavior exhibited by the bullying aggressors and in cognitive empathy, while cognitive restructuring and the distortion of consequences mediated in affective empathy. We discuss the impact on moral and emotional sensitivity of the continued aggression occurring in the interpersonal dynamics of bullying, as well as the relationship between certain strategies of moral disengagement and the different types of empathy. We also comment on the need to design intervention programs to address the lowering of moral criteria and empathy in young people and adolescents involved in traditional bullying.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Falla
- Department of Psychology, Universidad de Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
| | - Eva M Romera
- Department of Psychology, Universidad de Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
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Noorazar SG, Mohebbi M, Alizadeh‐Maralani F. The retrospective bullying experiences questionnaire (RBEQ): Its psychometric properties in Iranian University students. PSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/pits.22522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Gholamreza Noorazar
- Department of Psychiatry Research Center of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences Tabriz Iran
| | - Mina Mohebbi
- Department of Education University of Tabriz Tabriz Iran
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Why victimized by peer promotes cyberbullying in college students? Testing a moderated mediation model in a three-wave longitudinal study. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-02047-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Bian J, Li L, Xia X, Fu X. Effects of the Presence and Behavior of In-Group and Out-Group Strangers on Moral Hypocrisy. Front Psychol 2020; 11:551625. [PMID: 33071871 PMCID: PMC7533570 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.551625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Moral hypocrisy (MH) occurs when people fail to practice what they preach. Despite the prevalence of the effect of social identity on an individual’s MH, few empirical studies have explored contextual factors that may help reduce MH. By conducting two experiments based on the research paradigm of real stranger presence, we examined how in-group and out-group strangers’ presence and moral behavior may contribute to reducing MH. The results of experiment 1 demonstrated that compared with the presence of out-group strangers, the presence of in-group strangers could effectively inhibit MH (no significant difference between participants reported and actual donation proportions was obtained). The results of experiment 2 replicated and extended the results of experiment 1, first by showing that the presence of in-group strangers could effectively inhibit MH and then by revealing the influence of present strangers’ behavior (moral or hypocritical) on MH. The results indicated that strangers’ moral behavior could effectively eliminate participants’ MH, especially in the presence of in-group strangers. However, when present strangers exhibited hypocritical behavior, they exhibited no effect on participants’ MH, irrespective of the condition of in-group and out-group strangers. The current study provides empirical support for theories related to MH and moral decision-making and contributes to the literature on in-group and out-group effects on MH and decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junfeng Bian
- Research Center of Social Governance Innovation, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha, China.,Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Liang Li
- Hunan Provincial Bureau of Statistics, Changsha, China
| | - Xuan Xia
- Hunan University of Technology and Business, Changsha, China
| | - Xiaolan Fu
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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