Guilt has often been conceptualized as a moral emotion because it stimulates transgressors to restore a damaged relationship. However, not much has been investigated about when the guilt-induced relational-promoting goal conflicts with certain moral norms (for instance, honesty). In this paper, we demonstrate that guilt increases the transgressors' lying intentions in situations where honesty is anticipated to incur immediate relational harm with the victim and that this effect is driven by the transgressors' short-term relational focus. Across three experiments (two preregistered), we provide robust evidence for our prediction. Study 1 examined the effect of guilt on inflating the feedback to the victim, measured relational focus and the focus on the instrumental value of honesty (i.e., long-term benefits brought by honesty such as career growth) as simultaneous mechanisms, and contrasted the effect of guilt on the lying intention with that of shame. Study 2 better measured the short-termism in the relational focus and examined a situation wherein guilty participants could lie to a third party for the benefit of the victim. Study 3 provided additional support for our proposed mechanism by showing that deliberation on the consequences of not being honest (i.e., indirectly increasing participants' focus on the long-term instrumental value of honesty) decreases people's lying intentions. These results contribute to our understanding of the complex interpersonal nature of guilt and, specifically, its temporal focus.

内疚经常被概念化为一种道德情感，因为它会刺激违规者恢复受损的关系。然而，关于内疚诱导的关系促进目标何时与某些道德规范（例如，诚实）发生冲突的研究并不多。在本文中，我们证明了在预期诚实会对受害者造成直接关系伤害的情况下，内疚会增加违法者的撒谎意图，并且这种影响是由违法者的短期关系焦点驱动的。在三个实验（两个预注册）中，我们为我们的预测提供了强有力的证据。研究 1 检查了内疚对夸大对受害者的反馈的影响，测量了关系焦点和对诚实的工具价值的关注（即，诚实带来的长期利益（如职业发展）作为同步机制，并将内疚对说谎意图的影响与羞耻感进行对比。研究 2 更好地衡量了关系焦点中的短期主义，并检查了有罪的参与者可能为了受害者的利益而向第三方撒谎的情况。研究 3 为我们提出的机制提供了额外的支持，它表明对不诚实的后果的审议（即，间接增加参与者对诚实的长期工具价值的关注）会降低人们说谎的意图。这些结果有助于我们理解内疚的复杂人际本质，特别是它的时间焦点。并将内疚对说谎意图的影响与羞耻进行了对比。研究 2 更好地衡量了关系焦点中的短期主义，并检查了有罪的参与者可能为了受害者的利益而向第三方撒谎的情况。研究 3 为我们提出的机制提供了额外的支持，它表明对不诚实的后果的审议（即，间接增加参与者对诚实的长期工具价值的关注）会降低人们说谎的意图。这些结果有助于我们理解内疚的复杂人际本质，特别是它的时间焦点。并将内疚对说谎意图的影响与羞耻进行了对比。研究 2 更好地衡量了关系焦点中的短期主义，并检查了有罪的参与者可能为了受害者的利益而向第三方撒谎的情况。研究 3 为我们提出的机制提供了额外的支持，它表明对不诚实的后果的审议（即，间接增加参与者对诚实的长期工具价值的关注）会降低人们说谎的意图。这些结果有助于我们理解内疚的复杂人际本质，特别是它的时间焦点。研究 3 为我们提出的机制提供了额外的支持，它表明对不诚实的后果的审议（即，间接增加参与者对诚实的长期工具价值的关注）会降低人们说谎的意图。这些结果有助于我们理解内疚的复杂人际本质，特别是它的时间焦点。研究 3 为我们提出的机制提供了额外的支持，它表明对不诚实的后果的审议（即，间接增加参与者对诚实的长期工具价值的关注）会降低人们说谎的意图。这些结果有助于我们理解内疚的复杂人际本质，特别是它的时间焦点。