IN A VERY DIFFERENT VOICE - UNMASKING MORAL HYPOCRISY

Across 3 small studies, 80 female undergraduates were confronted with the dilemma of deciding whom-themselves or another research participan t-to assign to a positive consequences task, leaving the other to do a dull, boring task. Tn Study 1, where morality was not mentioned, 16 o f 20 assigned themselves to the positive consequences task, even thoug h in retrospect only 1 said this was moral. In Studies 2 and 3, a mora l strategy was suggested: either flipping a coin or accepting task ass ignment by the experimenter. In Study 2, 10 of 20 participants flipped a coin, but of these, 9 assigned themselves the positive consequences task. In Study 3, participants were significantly more likely to acce pt the experimenter's assignment when it gave them the positive conseq uences task. Overall, results suggested motivation to appear moral yet still benefit oneself. Such motivation is called moral hypocrisy.