The Impact of Moral Judgment on the Relationship Between Trait Aggression and Deviant Behavior

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate moral judgments' mediating effect on the relationship between trait aggression and deviant behavior. Participants consisted of 337 undergraduate students at a large southeastern university. An online survey format measured the two facets of trait aggression (implicit and explicit), moral development, ethical ideology, and deviant behavior. Driven by the literature, a saturated model was created and a path analysis tested all hypothesized relationships. Findings were as follows: 1) cognitive moral development significantly mediated the relationship between trait aggression and deviant behavior; 2) explicit aggression significantly moderated the relationship between implicit aggression and deviant behavior; 3) moral judgment was significantly related to trait aggression and deviant behavior; and 4) cognitive moral development was significantly related to ethical ideology. The study serves to highlight avenues that influence and potentially decrease the occurrence of deviant behaviors in academic and organizational settings.