The high school to college transition may be especially influential in creating feelings of social loneliness in adolescents. Failure to establish social structures may lead to feelings of loneliness and an increased need for social approval from their peers in the new environment. It was therefore predicted that the more lonely a student is, the more likely he/she would look for approval from others and the more likely he/she would acquiesce to a decision to participate in unethical actions proposed by peers. This prediction was tested in a sample of 158 female and 133 male college students. The evidence suggests that participants who were the most lonely were most likely to report a willingness to engage in unethical behaviors when encouraged by others. However, contrary to expectations, the need for approval did not mediate the relationship between loneliness and unethical behavior. Gender differences were found in the endorsement of unethical behaviors. Male participants were more likely to report a willingness to engage in unethical acts than were female participants. / Department of Psychological Science
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/187016 |
| Date | January 2001 |
| Creators | Hoag, Jennifer M. |
| Contributors | Whitley, Bernard E. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | 59 leaves ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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