Ethical behavior within groups is shaped by various situational and social factors, including hierarchy and power asymmetries. We present three preregistered studies ( = 1253) examining the social dynamics that affect ethical decision-making in hierarchical dyads, employing two novel collaborative cheating tasks. In the first two studies, we find evidence that individuals mutually influenced each other's honesty across repeated interactions, even though they had different power over the outcomes. In addition, the degree and direction of these influences were moderated by the ethical make-up of these dyads. Moreover, there were congruency effects for character judgments, wherein dyads engaging in collaborative cheating behaviors tended to evaluate each other positively, particularly in terms of competence and closeness. In a third study, manipulating whether ignoring cheating is beneficial to an observer or not, we find that observers were less inclined to verify (vs. rely on) potentially dishonest reports when they themselves benefitted from dishonest reporting. In addition, individuals benefiting from dishonest behavior formed close bonds with them, evaluating them positively and contributing more money in a subsequent public goods game. This research illuminates the intricate interplay of social dynamics, ethical orientations, and motivations in hierarchical relationships, offering insights for understanding and managing ethical decision-making in various contexts.

中文翻译：

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谁在领导谁？领导者与下属之间道德决策随时间的相互影响以及自身利益的作用


群体内的道德行为受到各种情境和社会因素的影响，包括等级制度和权力不对称。我们提出了三项预先注册的研究（= 1253），采用两种新颖的协作作弊任务来检验影响等级二元中道德决策的社会动态。在前两项研究中，我们发现证据表明，个体在重复的互动中相互影响彼此的诚实，尽管他们对结果有不同的权力。此外，这些影响的程度和方向受到这些二人的道德构成的调节。此外，性格判断存在一致性效应，其中参与协作作弊行为的二人倾向于积极评价彼此，特别是在能力和亲密程度方面。在第三项研究中，通过操纵忽略作弊是否对观察者有利，我们发现当观察者自己从不诚实的报告中受益时，他们不太愿意验证（而不是依赖）潜在的不诚实报告。此外，从不诚实行为中受益的个人与他们形成了密切的联系，对他们做出积极的评价，并在随后的公共物品游戏中贡献更多的钱。这项研究阐明了等级关系中社会动态、道德取向和动机之间错综复杂的相互作用，为理解和管理各种背景下的道德决策提供了见解。