Funding: German Research Foundation (DFG) - International Cooperation, 2025 - 2028
Project management: Prof. Dr. Anja Achtziger
Project team
| Prof. Dr. Anja Achtziger (Zeppelin University)
| Prof. Dr. Xiaoge Dong (Zeppelin University)
Cooperation partner
| University Jaume I, Castellon, Spain
About the project
The RUTHLESS project explores a striking paradox in human behavior: while many individuals act generously in bilateral, low-stakes situations, the same people may choose to inflict significant harm on large groups. More specifically, prosocial behavior in the small is fully compatible with morally-outrageous behavior in high-stakes, high-impact decisions where a decision maker can obtain a large personal gain at the expense of significantly damaging a large number of other people. This phenomenon is studied through the innovative “Big Robber Game,” which simulates real-world scenarios where individuals can profit at the expense of others—mirroring behaviors seen in corporate scandals and financial misconduct.
Led by Prof. Dr. Anja Achtziger at Zeppelin Universität Friedrichshafen, in collaboration with Universidad Jaume I (Spain), the project investigates the psychological, motivational, and cultural factors that drive such socially harmful decisions. Through a combination of laboratory experiments, large-scale surveys, and cross-cultural comparisons, RUTHLESS aims to provide insights into the roots of antisocial economic behavior and inform the development of strategies to promote ethical decision-making in high-stakes environments.
