Personal relative deprivation and moral self-judgments: The moderating role of sense of control

Abstract

Six studies (total valid N = 1835) examined the impact of personal relative deprivation on moral judgments of one’s own unethical behavior and the moderating role of sense of control. It was found that individuals high (vs. low) on relative deprivation were more likely to endorse lenient moral standards for themselves regarding various imagined transgressions. Moreover, Studies 4–6 also provided evidence for a positive moderation effect of sense of control in the relationship between relative deprivation and the acceptability of one’s own moral transgressions. These findings suggest that individuals, especially those with a high sense of control, may justify their immoral actions to compensate for the hurt feelings of relative deprivation.