Background: Deceptive behavior is a common social phenomenon that can undermine interpersonal and organizational functioning. While prior research has emphasized stable personality traits as predictors of deception, less attention has been given to the situational activation of personal values as an immediate determinant of such behavior, particularly during early adulthood. Examining the tension between Conservation and Openness to Change values may clarify how value systems shape moral decision-making.
Aim: This study investigated the effect of priming Conservation versus Openness-to-Change values on deceptive behavior among university students and examined whether Big Five personality traits moderated this relationship.
Methodology: A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with a control group was conducted with 81 university students (aged 18–24) recruited through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to Conservation priming (n = 27), Openness-to-Change priming (n = 25), or control (n = 29) groups. Measures included the Portrait Values Questionnaire–Revised (PVQ-RR), the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), and a structured behavioral deception task. Data were analyzed using one-way ANCOVA controlling for pretest scores, followed by Bonferroni-adjusted comparisons. Hierarchical regression analyses tested moderation effects. Result: ANCOVA revealed a significant group effect on deceptive behavior, F(2, 75) = 5.51, p = .006, ηp² = .232. Bonferroni comparisons indicated that Conservation priming reduced deception relative to the control condition (p < .05), whereas Openness-to-Change priming was associated with higher deception compared to Conservation priming (p < .05). Hierarchical regression analyses showed that Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Agreeableness significantly moderated the relationship between value activation and deception.
Conclusions: Findings suggest that situational value activation functions as a cognitive regulatory mechanism shaping m