Consistency Or Compensation? The Effect Of Past Moral Behavior On Future Moral Behavior:the Moderating Role Of Moral Identity

In recent years, research on moral turn more attention from moral reasoning to moral self, in order to exlpore the effect of moral self on moral behavior. On the one hand, some research find when an individual think himself or herself being moral, he or she will do less moral behavior in the future; when an individual think himself or herself being immoral, he or she will do more moral behavior in the future. The two phenomena constitute compensation moral behavior, including moral licensing and moral cleansing. On the other hand, some research find when an individual think himself or herself being moral, he or she will do more moral behavior in the future; when an individual think himself or herself being immoral, he or she will do less moral behavior in the future. The two phenomena constitute consistency moral behavior. From the perspective of moral identity, this research integrates compensation moral behavior and consistency moral behavior. This research think moral identity moderates compensation moral behavior.In study 1, the researcher examine the effect of past moral(immoral) behavior on future moral behavior, and moral identity is or not a moderating variable. The results show moral identity moderate moral cleansing, that is, for high moral identity who did immoral behavior in the past, him or she will do more moral behavior in the future(compensation); for low moral identity who did immoral behavior in the past, him or she will do less moral behavior in the future(consistency). The results show moral identity does not moderate moral licensing, that is, when high moral identity and low moral identity did moral behavior in the past, there is no signigicant difference on moral behavior in the future.In study 2, the researcher examine the effect of past moral(immoral) behavior on future immoral behavior, and moral identity is or not a moderating variable. The results show moral identity moderate moral cleansing, that is, for high moral identity who did immoral behavior in the past, him or she will do less immoral behavior in the future(compensation); for low moral identity who did immoral behavior in the past, him or she will do more immoral behavior in the future(consistency). The results show moral identity does not moderate moral licensing, that is, when high moral identity and low moral identity did moral behavior in the past, there is no signigicant difference on immoral behavior in the future.