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Travaglino GA, Burgmer P, Mirisola A. Alternative Systems: The Interplay Between Criminal Groups' Influence and Political Trust on Civic Honesty in the Global Context. Soc Psychol Personal Sci 2024; 15:439-449. [PMID: 38572171 PMCID: PMC10984803 DOI: 10.1177/19485506231176615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Individuals' endorsement of standards of civic honesty is necessary for democracies to flourish. A critical driver of civic honesty is the relationship of trust between individuals and institutions. Research has yet to systematically assess the contextual factors that may moderate this relationship. In this study, we examined the societal influence of organized criminal groups. Criminal groups operate as alternative systems of authority that erode the reliability of institutions' moral standards. We employed a new indicator that quantifies their societal influence to test the hypothesis that the association between individuals' political trust and civic honesty would weaken in countries more strongly affected by criminal groups. Multilevel evidence across 83 representative national samples (N = 128,839) supported this hypothesis. Moreover, the association between political trust and civic honesty was negative in contexts where criminal groups' influence was more extreme. We discuss the implications of the findings and future research directions.
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Yang Q, Zhang W, Liu S, Gong W, Han Y, Lu J, Jiang D, Nie J, Lyu X, Liu R, Jiao M, Qu C, Zhang M, Sun Y, Zhou X, Zhang Q. Unraveling controversies over civic honesty measurement: An extended field replication in China. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2213824120. [PMID: 37428923 PMCID: PMC10629568 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2213824120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Cohn et al. (2019) conducted a wallet drop experiment in 40 countries to measure "civic honesty around the globe," which has received worldwide attention but also sparked controversies over using the email response rate as the sole metric of civic honesty. Relying on the lone measurement may overlook cultural differences in behaviors that demonstrate civic honesty. To investigate this issue, we conducted an extended replication study in China, utilizing email response and wallet recovery to assess civic honesty. We found a significantly higher level of civic honesty in China, as measured by the wallet recovery rate, than reported in the original study, while email response rates remained similar. To resolve the divergent results, we introduce a cultural dimension, individualism versus collectivism, to study civic honesty across diverse cultures. We hypothesize that cultural differences in individualism and collectivism could influence how individuals prioritize actions when handling a lost wallet, such as contacting the wallet owner or safeguarding the wallet. In reanalyzing Cohn et al.'s data, we found that email response rates were inversely related to collectivism indices at the country level. However, our replication study in China demonstrated that the likelihood of wallet recovery was positively correlated with collectivism indicators at the provincial level. Consequently, relying solely on email response rates to gauge civic honesty in cross-country comparisons may neglect the vital individualism versus collectivism dimension. Our study not only helps reconcile the controversy surrounding Cohn et al.'s influential field experiment but also furnishes a fresh cultural perspective to evaluate civic honesty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Yang
- School of Public Health, and the Department of Geriatrics of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou310058, China
| | - Weiwei Zhang
- Research Institute of Economics and Management, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu610074, China
| | - Shiyong Liu
- Institute of Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai, Zhuhai, Guangdong519087, China
| | - Wenjin Gong
- School of Public Health and Management, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong510006, China
| | - Youli Han
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Fengtai District, Beijing100069, China
| | - Jun Lu
- School of Public Health, China Research Center on Disability, Fudan University, Xuhui District, Shanghai200032, China
| | - Donghong Jiang
- College of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong518060, China
| | - Jingchun Nie
- Center for Experimental Economics in Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, Shaanxi710119, China
| | - Xiaokang Lyu
- Department of Social Psychology, Zhou Enlai School of Government, Nankai University, Jinnan District, Tianjin300071, China
| | - Rugang Liu
- School of Health Policy & Management, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu211166, China
| | - Mingli Jiao
- Department of Health Policy and Hospital Management, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang150081, China
| | - Chen Qu
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou510631, China
| | - Mingji Zhang
- School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Huangpu District, Shanghai200025, China
| | - Yacheng Sun
- Department of Marketing School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University, Haidian District, Beijing100084, China
| | - Xinyue Zhou
- School of Management, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou310058, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- School of Community and Environmental Health, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA23529
- China Research Center on Disability, Fudan University, Xuhui District, Shanghai200032, China
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