Resource Constraints Lead to Biased Attention but Decrease Unethical Behavior

TY - JOUR

T1 - Resource Constraints Lead to Biased Attention but Decrease Unethical Behavior

AU - Børsting, Caroline Kjær

AU - Elbæk, Christian T.

AU - Mitkidis, Panagiotis

AU - Hochman, Guy

PY - 2024/10

Y1 - 2024/10

N2 - Subjective experiences of resource scarcity can make individuals short-term oriented, capture attention, and trigger feelings of unfairness. However, the impact of scarcity on information processing and ethical decision-making remains poorly understood. This eye-tracking study explored how acute financial scarcity affects selective information search and ethical decision-making in an economic task with competing incentives (N?=?60, 12,000 observations). Results revealed that participants experiencing financial scarcity displayed a strong attentional bias towards financially tempting information, although they ultimately did not behave more unethically. These findings might reveal a ?moral boundary? dictating when attentional biases translate into decision-making. Our results contribute to understanding how individuals in scarcity contexts process and prioritize information in ethical decision-making, helping organizations and policymakers combat stereotypes surrounding resource-deprived individuals, and design evidence-based policy interventions promoting ethical behavior in financially scarce situations.

AB - Subjective experiences of resource scarcity can make individuals short-term oriented, capture attention, and trigger feelings of unfairness. However, the impact of scarcity on information processing and ethical decision-making remains poorly understood. This eye-tracking study explored how acute financial scarcity affects selective information search and ethical decision-making in an economic task with competing incentives (N?=?60, 12,000 observations). Results revealed that participants experiencing financial scarcity displayed a strong attentional bias towards financially tempting information, although they ultimately did not behave more unethically. These findings might reveal a ?moral boundary? dictating when attentional biases translate into decision-making. Our results contribute to understanding how individuals in scarcity contexts process and prioritize information in ethical decision-making, helping organizations and policymakers combat stereotypes surrounding resource-deprived individuals, and design evidence-based policy interventions promoting ethical behavior in financially scarce situations.

KW - attentional bias

KW - dishonesty

KW - ethical blind spots

KW - eye-tracking

KW - scarcity

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85200053534&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1002/bdm.2402

DO - 10.1002/bdm.2402

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0894-3257

VL - 37

JO - Journal of Behavioral Decision Making

JF - Journal of Behavioral Decision Making

IS - 4

M1 - e2402

ER -