Introducing and Evaluating a New Behavioral Model in Adopting Consistent Ethical Behaviors Based on Rational Choice Theory

Daily experiencing of ethical behaviors in human lives contradicted common approaches in rational choice theories and pursuit of self interest in decisions. Considering goal orienting aspect of human behaviors, ethical behaviors need to be more recognized and explained. Meanwhile the most important theory of predicting rational human behavior, expected utility maximization theory, lacks unanimity towards dealing with ethical behaviors and explaining emergence conditions of these behaviors in everyday life, previous empirical studies also have been less successful in predicting the fluctuation of the ethical behaviors of individuals in the introduced models. In this study, using microeconomic optimization principle for allocating available resources, a new behavioral model has been introduced to complete previous behavioral models and explain the conditions for the emergence of sustainable and rational ethical behaviors. After then, In order to measure the predictive power of the proposed behavioral model in context of empirical data information from nearly 90.000 persons from 57 countries has been evaluated. The results of statistical analysis about money giving indicated the conformity between empirical evidence and theoretical predictions of the model. Also according to the results of empirical estimates, economic variables have better explanatory power than other variables in the model with sustainable nature while the cultural and personality variables have better explanatory power than other variables in the model with unsustainable nature