This study explores the intermediary role of anticipated shame, guilt, and norms in the association between empathy and the likelihood of a specific uncooperative act: theft by finding. Empirical evidence supports a negative association between empathy and a broad range of uncooperative behaviors. Some studies suggest that empathy reduces noncooperation via intermediary factors such as empathy and moral emotions shame and guilt. Inspired by Martin Hoffman's empathy-based theory of moral development, we propose a testable model in which individual differences in empathic concern and perspective-taking are positively related to anticipated guilt, shame, and conduct-specific moral norm, which in turn reduce the likelihood of theft by finding. Data were collected from a region-wide cross-sectional sample of adolescents and young adults in the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium in 2019 (N = 3591). Overall, our propositions were corroborated. Structural equation modeling suggests that empathic concern inhibits the likelihood of theft by finding via anticipated guilt–shame. The discussion focuses on a better understanding of the relationship between empathy, moral dimensions, and uncooperative choices.

中文翻译：

---

移情与发现盗窃：道德情感和规范的中介作用

本研究探讨了预期的羞耻感、内疚和规范在同理心与特定不合作行为的可能性之间的关联中的中介作用：发现盗窃。经验证据支持同理心与广泛的不合作行为之间存在负相关。一些研究表明，同理心通过诸如同理心和道德情绪、羞耻和内疚等中介因素来减少不合作。受马丁霍夫曼基于移情的道德发展理论的启发，我们提出了一个可测试的模型，其中移情关注和观点采择的个体差异与预期的内疚、羞耻和特定于行为的道德规范呈正相关，从而降低可能性通过发现盗窃。N  = 3591）。总的来说，我们的主张得到了证实。结构方程模型表明，移情关注通过预期的内疚-羞耻感来发现，从而抑制盗窃的可能性。讨论的重点是更好地理解同理心、道德维度和不合作选择之间的关系。