Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026

An Experimental Analysis of Children's Ability to Provide a False Report about a Crime
Published on: May 3, 2016
Moral hypocrisy: addressing some alternatives
C Daniel Batson1, Elizabeth R Thompson, Hubert Chen
1Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence 66045, USA. dbatson@ku.edu
Abstract:
Two studies addressed alternative explanations for 3 pieces of evidence supporting the existence of moral hypocrisy. In Study 1, no support was found for the idea that low salience of social standards accounts for falsifying the result of a coin flip to assign oneself a more desirable task. In Study 2, no support was found for the idea that responses of those who honestly win the flip account for the higher ratings of morality of their action by participants who assign themselves the more desirable task after flipping the coin. Also, no support was found for the idea that responses of those who honestly win the flip account for the inability of personal moral responsibility measures to predict moral action. Instead, results of both studies provided additional evidence of moral hypocrisy.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Self-Discrepancy Theory
Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping
Cognitive Dissonance
Ethical Dilemmas I
Let us explore some examples to understand the potentially complex moral decisions nurses face.
Take the case of caring for minors, particularly in areas related to reproductive...
Ethical Dilemmas II
Impression Management Techniques III: Aligning Actions

