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. 2024 Jun 25;11(7):766.
doi: 10.3390/children11070766.

Do Moral Emotions Interact with Self-Control and Unstructured Socializing in Explaining Rule-Breaking Behavior Committed Together with Friends?

Sara-Marie Schön  1 , Monika Daseking  1
Affiliations

Do Moral Emotions Interact with Self-Control and Unstructured Socializing in Explaining Rule-Breaking Behavior Committed Together with Friends?

Sara-Marie Schön et al. Children (Basel). .

Abstract

Previous research has shown that moral emotions interact with self-control and unstructured socializing in explaining rule-breaking behavior. High levels of moral emotions appear to weaken the effects of both self-control and unstructured socializing, in explaining rule-breaking behavior. The current study examined whether these interactions also affect rule-breaking behavior that is explicitly committed with friends. In addition, three operationalizations of moral emotions were distinguished. Data were collected from N = 169 adolescents (54% female; mean = 14.95 years; SD = 1.7) using a self-report questionnaire battery. Results indicate that high levels of anticipated emotions in moral conflicts (AEMC) attenuate the effect of low self-control on one's own rule-breaking behavior. In contrast, high levels of both guilt- and shame-proneness enhanced the effect of unstructured socializing on one's own and rule-breaking with friends. The limitations of the study, ideas for future research, and practical implications are also discussed.

Keywords: moral emotions; rule-breaking behavior; self-control; situational action theory; unstructured socializing.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Relation between low self-control and own rule-breaking behavior for adolescents with low (n = 57), medium (n = 52), and high (n = 60) levels of anticipated emotions in moral conflicts (AEMC).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Relation between unstructured socializing and own rule-breaking behavior for adolescents with low (n = 46), medium (n = 76), and high (n = 47) levels of guilt-proneness.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Relation between unstructured socializing and own rule-breaking behavior for adolescents with low (n = 56), medium (n = 65), and high (n = 48) levels of shame-proneness.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Relation between unstructured socializing and rule-breaking behavior committed together with friends for adolescents with low (n = 46), medium (n = 76), and high (n = 47) levels of guilt-proneness.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Relation between unstructured socializing and rule-breaking behavior committed together with friends for adolescents with low (n = 56), medium (n = 65), and high (n = 48) levels of shame-proneness.
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