Ethical Dissonance Theory (EDT): A Multi - Level Framework Explaining Psychological and Institutional Drivers of Scientific Conformity

This project hosts the foundational preprint for Ethical Dissonance Theory (EDT), an original multi-level conceptual framework developed by Ramon Sosich. EDT explains how psychological mechanisms, social dynamics, and institutional reinforcement structures interact to generate ethical tension, conformity, and behavioural adaptation within scientific environments. The preprint establishes authorship and priority for the EDT model, including its multi-level structure and core theoretical propositions. This project serves as the official reference point for the origin and ongoing development of EDT. Extended theoretical development, clinical elaboration, and empirical applications will be released in future publications.Affiliation clarification: This preprint is an independent conceptual work and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced under the supervision of Auckland University of Technology or any other institution. The author’s current university enrollment is listed for biographical accuracy only.