The association between adverse childhood experiences and moral hypocrisy: the chain-mediated role of fear of failure and ego depletion

To examine the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and moral hypocrisy among college students, and to elucidate the underlying psychological mechanisms, this study-guided by Ecological Systems Theory and Ego Depletion Theory-investigated the psychological processes through which ACEs may contribute to moral hypocrisy. A questionnaire survey was administered to 1,082 college students. Results indicated that: (1) ACEs positively predicted moral hypocrisy; (2) fear of failure independently mediated the ACEs-moral hypocrisy relationship; (3) ego depletion independently mediated this relationship; and (4) fear of failure and ego depletion sequentially mediated the association, such that ACEs increased fear of failure, which in turn exacerbated ego depletion and ultimately elevated moral hypocrisy. This study advances the literature by identifying a continuous psychological transmission pathway from early adversity to adult moral behavior: early environmental risk may be translated into moral maladjustment through a developmental cascade involving affective vulnerability (fear of failure) and chronic depletion of self-regulatory resources (ego depletion). Specifically, fear of failure functions as a persistent stressor that continuously consumes self-regulatory capacity. When combined with culturally specific "face" (mianzi) concerns, this process may motivate individuals to adopt a word-deed dissociation strategy-maintaining a desirable moral image while minimizing behavioral costs-thereby manifesting as moral hypocrisy. These findings not only deepen theoretical understanding of moral development mechanisms but also offer empirical support for targeted psychological interventions and moral education programs for college students with histories of childhood adversity. Interventions that promote cognitive reappraisal of failure-related beliefs and facilitate restoration of self-regulatory capacity may be particularly effective in reducing moral hypocrisy among individuals exposed to early adversity.