Moral disengagement is a social cognition people use to engage in wrongdoings even when they know it is wrong. However, little is known about the antecedents that predict moral disengagement. The current study focuses on the development of self-control and cooperation during middle childhood as two antecedents of moral disengagement among 1,103 children (50% female; 77% White, 12% Black, 6% Hispanic, and 5% other). Children's self-control at age 8 and growth in self-control from age 8 to 11 were positively linked to adolescents seeing themselves as having self-control at age 15, which then predicted less moral disengagement at age 18. Children's cooperation at age 8 also was positively linked to adolescents’ self-views of cooperation at age 15, which in turn, was associated with less moral disengagement at age 18. These findings demonstrate the potential of self-control and cooperation as intrapersonal and interpersonal strengths during middle childhood for mitigating moral disengagement 10 years later.

道德脱离是人们用来从事不法行为的一种社会认知，即使他们知道这是错误的。然而，人们对预测道德脱离接触的前因知之甚少。目前的研究重点关注 1,103 名儿童（50% 女性；77% 白人、12% 黑人、6% 西班牙裔和 5% 其他儿童）在童年中期自我控制和合作的发展，这是道德脱离接触的两个前因。儿童在 8 岁时的自我控制能力和 8 岁到 11 岁期间自我控制能力的提高与青少年认为自己在 15 岁时具有自我控制能力呈正相关，这预示着 18 岁时的道德脱离程度会降低。儿童在 8 岁时的合作也与青少年在 15 岁时对合作的自我看法呈正相关，而这又与 18 岁时较少的道德脱离有关。