Abstract
This study explores the intermediary role of anticipated shame, guilt, and norms in the association between empathy and the likelihood of a specific uncooperative act: theft by finding. Empirical evidence supports a negative association between empathy and a broad range of uncooperative behaviors. Some studies suggest that empathy reduces noncooperation via intermediary factors such as empathy and moral emotions shame and guilt. Inspired by Martin Hoffman’s empathy‐based theory of moral development, we propose a testable model in which individual differences in empathic concern and perspective‐taking are positively related to anticipated guilt, shame, and conduct‐specific moral norm, which in turn reduce the likelihood of theft by finding. Data were collected from a region‐wide cross‐sectional sample of adolescents and young adults in the Dutch‐speaking part of Belgium in 2019 (N = 3591). Overall, our propositions were corroborated. Structural equation modeling suggests that empathic concern inhibits the likelihood of theft by finding via anticipated guilt–shame. The discussion focuses on a better understanding of the relationship between empathy, moral dimensions, and uncooperative choices.