Abstract:

Ethical temptation is defined as moral judgment situations in which unethical decisions are made due to failure of self-control especially in inter-temporal choices. According to the construal level theory, individual difference in construal level may impact decision-making under ethical temptation. When facing ethical temptations, individuals with a high construal level are likely to aware the ethical principles imbedded in the decision-making process, form ethical judgment, and behave in ways that are consistent with ethical principles through the mechanism of self-control. On the other hand, individuals with a low construal level may pay attention to short-term instrumental outcomes by deliberative thinking, overlook the ethical principles, and behave unethically. Therefore, we argue that the construal level theory is a theoretical tool with practical implications in understating decision-making under ethical temptation.

Key words: ethical temptation, inter-temporal choice, ethical decision making, construal level theory, self- control