Understanding Motivation's Role in Deviant Behavior: Methodological Reflections

• In Event: Rigours Testing in Criminological Research

Abstract

Motivation's role on deviance has been largely overlooked. Situational Action Theory offers insights into how motivation influences the perception and choice of deviant behavior. It suggests that temptation and provocation can lead to deviance, particularly when personal morality is weak, and the moral norms are deviant. This Germany-wide vignette study (N=2,214, offline recruitment) tests these processes using the example of using prescription drugs without a prescription to enhance performance. Motivation and moral norms were experimentally manipulated in a 3x2 between-subject design, with personal morality measured.
Contrary to expectations, regression analysis with interaction effects reveals that temptation increases willingness to engage in deviance regardless of personal morality or setting's moral norm. To assess the potential impact of statistical modeling on the findings, we employed equivalent double hurdle and multi-group structural equation models. While the results from the double hurdle model were consistent with those obtained from the linear models, the multi-group structural equation models unveiled that motivation influences deviance in non-deviant settings, particularly among individuals with weak personal morality. This underscores the substantial impact of the chosen statistical approach on the outcomes, as variations in results with identical data under different statistical methods can ultimately lead to differing falsifications of theories.

Author

• Fabian Hasselhorn, University of Bielefeld