Self-Control Buffers the Mortality Salience Effect on Fairness-Related Decision-Making
Author Information
Author(s): Li Wen, Guan Lili, Parkinson John
Primary Institution: Northeast Normal University
Hypothesis
Dispositional self-control moderates the effect of mortality salience on fairness-related decision-making.
Conclusion
Mortality salience increases selfish behavior in monetary allocation, but self-control can mitigate this effect.
Supporting Evidence
- Mortality salience led to higher advantageous inequity in monetary allocation.
- Participants with low self-control allocated more money to themselves after mortality salience.
- High self-control mitigated the selfish effects of mortality salience.
Takeaway
When people are reminded of death, they tend to be more selfish with money, but if they have good self-control, they can be fairer.
Methodology
Two studies were conducted using a modified dictator game to assess the effects of mortality salience and self-control on monetary allocation decisions.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the self-reported nature of self-control measures.
Limitations
The study's findings may be specific to the cultural context of the participants, who were all Chinese.
Participant Demographics
Chinese undergraduate and graduate students, with a final sample of 94 participants (41 men, 53 women; Mage = 21.21 years).
Statistical Information
P-Value
p = 0.020
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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