One of your readings for the week, “27 Psychological Reasons Good People Do Bad Things”, looked at a number of examples where arguably good people are faced with challenging ethical situations and take perhaps a less than ethical stance in reaction thereto. For this activity use the following examples:
Time pressure - In a study, a group of theology students were told to preach the story of the good Samaritan, then walk to another building where they'd be filmed. Along the way, they encountered a man in visible distress. When given ample time, almost all helped. When they were deliberately let out late, only 63 percent helped. When encouraged to go as fast as possible, 90 percent ignored the man.
Acceptance of small theft- There are dozens of small temptations in any workplace. Stationary, sugar packets, and toilet paper frequently go home with employees. Those small thefts are ignored. So are slightly larger ones, like over-claiming expenses or accepting unauthorized business gifts. It doesn't take long for people to begin pushing those limits.
The compensation effect- Sometimes people, having been moral and forthright in their dealings for a long time, feel as if they have banked up some kind of "ethical credit," which they may use to justify immoral behavior in the future. An experiment from Nina Mazar and Chen-Bo Zhong found that people who have just bought sustainable products tend to lie and steal more afterwards than those who bought standard versions.
Explain whether you agree or disagree with the outcome or conclusion. In your discussion I want you to make the most compelling arguments you can to convince and persuade me that your point of view is the correct one. Is there anything in your value system that leads you to your point of view?