Leiden University Student Repository

Schotanus, Jilske (2024)

The influence of social identification with witnesses on cheating behaviors of a perpetrator: Do perpetrators care about the group identity of the witnesses to a moral transgression?

Master thesis | Psychology (MSc)

The aim of this study was to analyze how cheating behavior of a perpetrator is affected by the presence of witnesses and their perceived social identification. Based on the Routine Activity Theory (Cohen & Felson, 1979) and the Social Identity of Deindividuation Effects Model (Postmes et al., 1998), it was hypothesized that perpetrators would be less likely to cheat when there are witnesses present compared to not present, and when the witnesses are part of the in-group compared to the out-group. A third hypothesis postulated public self-awareness as a mediator in the relation between group membership of the witnesses and cheating behavior. The hypotheses were not supported by the data of the current study. It is theorized that the ostensible witnesses in the online experiment were perceived to be insufficiently interactive, resulting in less accountability for the perpetrator. Recommendations are provided for future research to build on these findings.

Social identification

group identity

witnesses

cheating behavior

perpetrator

Author

Schotanus, Jilske

Faculty

Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences

Specialisation

Social and Organizational Psychology

Supervisors

Bommel, M. van

ECTS Credits

20

Language

en