53% of Romanians would choose to distance themselves from a close friend who would resort to theft for financial reasons, says a recent study conducted by Reveal Marketing Research aimed to explore the ethical and moral values and behaviors of Romanians, and how these transform and acquire different nuances depending on the specific context of a situation.
The study also shows that two-thirds of Romanians (62%) would be willing to resort to theft to save the life of a loved one, with the tendency being more pronounced among men (67% compared to 57% among women).
61% of Romanians believe that five lives are more valuable than one.
in a scenario where a close friend steals due to their dire financial situation, 53% of Romanians would choose to distance themselves from them, 30% would cover up the theft and not discuss it with anyone, while 17% would inform the authorities. Overall, these data indicate that the majority of Romanians would take a firm stance against antisocial behavior such as theft, even when it is committed by someone close to them.
The fact that half of respondents (53%) would choose the middle way (to break off contact with their friend) suggests that they put emphasis on integrity in their social circles, while for the 17% who would inform the authorities there is a significantly greater concern for law enforcement, compliance with social rules and moral principles (theft being, in principle, an immoral behavior).
At the same time, one-third of Romanians (30%) would choose to cover up for their friend and keep the secret, with the most plausible explanation being loyalty and the desire to maintain the relationship, even in spite of their inappropriate behavior.
This choice can be interpreted as a manifestation of the moral dilemma between loyalty and ethics.
In the following scenario, where the friend asks the 30% to provide a false alibi to the police, nearly half of them (12%) would be willing to act illegally to protect their friend. Upon closer examination, we notice that young adults aged 25-35 (15%) are more inclined to provide a false alibi for their friend, as they are generally more socially active and involved in friendship relationships.
In another context, the theft of a very expensive medication represents the only solution that could save the life of a loved one. Therefore, we are discussing the same antisocial behavior, which in this scenario will take on different connotations. The majority of Romanians (62%) would be willing to steal the medication to save the life of their loved one, with people being more inclined to resort to behaviors considered immoral or illegal when facing a crisis situation such as saving the life of a loved one.
Surprisingly, or not, men are more predisposed to steal the medication (67%) than women (57%). This difference can be explained by the influence of social constructs associated with masculinity, which include traits such as protection and the ability to solve problems in critical situations.
The train dilemma. Are five lives worth more than one?
In another hypothetical scenario, a runaway train is heading down a track where five unknown individuals are tied up. Nearby, there is a lever that can change the direction of the train, diverting it onto a bypass route where another unknown individual is tied up.
According to the results of the Reveal Marketing Research study, 61% of Romanians would switch the lever, operating under the utilitarian premise of ethics which suggests that five lives are worth more than a single one (i.e., actions are evaluated based on the consequences of human behavior).
On the other hand, 39% of Romanians would not intervene and let events unfold as they may, particularly women (42% vs. 36% men) and young adults aged 25-34 (51%). They are inclined to let things happen naturally, motivated by deontological ethical considerations that argue any form of taking a life is unacceptable, regardless of circumstances (i.e., actions are morally evaluated by referring to a universal rule – killing a person is immoral).
Continuing, the 61% of Romanians who would be willing to switch the lever in the previous scenario are faced with a new hypothetical situation. They are on a footbridge above the tracks, along with an obese person, and the only way to prevent the death of the five individuals tied to the tracks is to push the obese person over the railing, as their size is sufficient to stop the train.
In this situation, over half of those who would have switched the lever in the first case change their minds (33%) and would let events unfold, especially women (37%), who tend to have a more developed emotional side compared to men (29%), in general. The reasons are easily understandable, while in the first scenario, respondents imagined themselves near a lever to switch the tracks, in the second scenario, they are in close proximity to a human body (direct involvement), and the realization of being responsible for the loss of someone’s life is greater.
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