Why they do it and why they don’t: Self-interest vs. altruistic tendencies as explanations of criminal behavior

Our study juxtaposes egoistic and altruistic motivations as explanations of criminal behavior. Self-control, reward/cost considerations, and moral values are investigated as possible mediating and conditional influences on the relationship between these motivations and crime. To do so, we utilize self-report data from a random sample of 1435 Ukrainian and Russian respondents. Findings confirm a relationship between altruistic orientation/self-interest and offending, with altruism and self-interest being significantly mediated by perceived rewards and costs of offending, moral beliefs, and self-control. Furthermore, morality, self-control, and perceived rewards condition the association between altruistic tendencies and crime, whereas their moderating effects on the relationship between self-interest and crime are less consistent. Altruistic orientation fails to reduce the likelihood of offending among individuals with very low levels of morality and self-control or those finding crime particularly attractive. Therefore, while altruism may protect against crime, this effect will likely be offset by strong predispositions to crime.