Guilt Aversion and the Financial Behavior of Individuals: The Moderating Role of Ethical Ideologies

In the rapidly advancing economic and technological landscape, the importance of ethical considerations in individual decision-making has gained unprecedented attention. The absolute authority held by one party in certain business contexts, such as participatory budgeting and financial consulting, emphasizes the significance of ethical decision-making. This research aims to investigate how individuals’ guilt aversion influences their financial behavior while also considering the moderating role of their ethical ideologies. This approach addresses the research gap regarding the oversight of individuals’ personal attitudes toward ethics when studying guilt aversion. The study population was comprised of undergraduate students at the University of Tabriz, and a sample of 52 participants was selected using a random sampling method. The sample was then divided into two groups, dictators and receivers, and their behavior was examined. A combination of active observation and questionnaire methods was employed to collect data. The results suggest that while guilt aversion does not significantly impact individuals’ financial behavior, ethical ideologies moderate the relationship between guilt aversion and financial behavior.