The moral-behavioral feedback loop: A three-wave longitudinal study of moral disengagement and online altruistic behavior in college students

Moral disengagement has traditionally been conceptualized as an antecedent of behavior, yet emerging perspectives suggest these constructs may be mutually reinforcing. This three-wave longitudinal study examined the bidirectional associations between moral disengagement and online altruistic behavior among Chinese college students (N = 651; 55.1% male; Mage = 20.13 years) over a one-year period with six-month intervals. Cross-lagged panel modeling revealed significant bidirectional effects: moral disengagement negatively predicted subsequent online altruistic behavior, and online altruistic behavior negatively predicted subsequent moral disengagement. These findings extend the predominantly tested moral disengagement-to-behavior pathway by providing empirical support for an additional behavior-to-moral disengagement pathway, consistent with dynamic systems theory. Multi-group structural equation modeling further demonstrated gender invariance in these bidirectional pathways. The results suggest that moral disengagement and online altruistic behavior are reciprocally associated over time, contributing to a more complete understanding of the moral disengagement—behavior link and informing the design of holistic interventions.