The Anxiety-Ethics Conundrum: Disentangling the Effects of Different Anxiety Forms on Unethical and Prosocial Behaviors

I conducted 16 studies investigating the relationships between different forms of anxiety and (un)ethical behaviors. With regard to trait anxiety, my research reveals no meaningful correlation with morality-related tendencies (Studies 1a, 1b, 2, 3). The examination of incidental anxiety, including rigorous experiments and comprehensive analyses based on large-scale archival datasets (Studies 4-9), indicates no substantial effect on unethical or prosocial behaviors. In contrast, integral anxiety emerges as a substantial force, driving or deterring both unethical and prosocial behaviors (Studies 10a, 10b, 11, 12). Through two meta-analyses (Studies 13a, 13b), I uncover potential publication bias in previous studies of incidental anxiety, while finding no such bias in studies of integral anxiety. My thesis emphasizes the pivotal role of integral anxiety in shaping (un)ethical behaviors.