The Moderating Role of Willpower as a Personality Trait in the Relationship Between Social Influence and Moral Disengagement Contradiction

TL;DR

This study explores how willpower affects how social influence leads to moral disengagement, especially when there's a conflict between personal morals and societal norms.

Contribution

The study introduces a novel theoretical framework linking willpower, spiritual contradiction, and moral disengagement in response to social influence.

Findings

Social influence significantly predicts moral disengagement, partially mediated by spiritual contradiction.

Willpower moderates the negative impact of social influence on moral disengagement.

Higher willpower leads to greater resistance to moral disengagement despite external pressures.

Abstract

The objective of this study is to examine the moderating role of willpower, conceptualized as a personality trait, in the relationship between social influence and moral disengagement towards migrants. The mediating role of spiritual contradiction is also investigated to understand the interplay between individual traits, moral contradictions, and external social pressures.

Data were collected from 720 participants using validated self‐report measures. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test the proposed relationships among social influence, moral disengagement, spiritual contradiction, and willpower. Moderation and mediation analyses were conducted to evaluate the hypothesized model.

The findings reveal that social influence significantly predicts moral disengagement. This relationship is partially mediated by spiritual contradiction, which amplifies disengagement by reflecting tensions between internal moral values and external norms. In addition, the study found that willpower moderates this relationship by reducing the negative impact of social influence on moral disengagement. Individuals with higher levels of willpower demonstrate greater resistance to moral disengagement and maintain moral consistency despite external pressures and moral contradictions.

This study underlines the pivotal function of personality traits and spiritual dimensions in shaping moral processes. The findings have practical applications for ethical education and interventions designed to enhance moral resilience in varied social contexts.

The graphical abstract provides a visual representation of the intricate interplay among willpower, social influence, spiritual contradiction, and moral disengagement. The model posits that social influence has the potential to enhance moral disengagement; however, this effect is tempered by willpower and mediated by spiritual contradiction. Individuals who possess higher levels of willpower demonstrate augmented cognitive control, thereby diminishing the influence of social influence on moral disengagement. Conversely, individuals with lower willpower exhibit a heightened vulnerability to social pressure, which, through spiritual contradiction, amplifies their susceptibility to moral disengagement. This theoretical framework contributes to our understanding of the role of executive function and self‐regulation in ethical decision‐making, emphasizing the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying moral disengagement in social contexts.

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