Justification for Laboratory Theft Moral Behavior of the Victim and Financial Need

Ninety-six subjects in a competitive game observed a confederate who had previously displayed immoral behavior by stealing from another victim, or had displayed moral behavior by competing honestly. The confederate's need for money was also manipulated to examine the effects of this factor on theft. When put in the position of having to steal money to win their competition, subjects competing against the confederate stole more from him when he had been dishonest but did not need the money than from a dishonest confederate who had stolen earlier because he needed money. Subjects who observed an honest confederate showed the lowest rates of theft. There was evidence that subjects used the confederate's expression of financial need to reduce their own moral restraints to justify theft from an innocent third party.