Social and psychological factors of corruption

Abstract

The article examines various scientific views on the types of socio-psychological factors of corruption crime and corruption in general. It is noted that the propensity to commit corrupt acts is determined by a set of social attitudes of an individual. The emergence of specific forms of corruption is closely related to the environment which creates favorable ground and conditions for corruption. The emergence and development of all criminal behavior, including corruption, involves such complex mental processes as awareness, intrinsic motivation, socialization, judgment and decision-making.The author emphasizes that corrupt behavior can be viewed as a complex of distorted social relations. Corruption occurs when legal norms, regulatory and control systems, and informal social rules facilitate or neglect corrupt behavior. The psychological factors of corrupt behavior include the division of responsibilities, guilt, fear of punishment, frustration, and the desire to succeed, as well as attitudes and values. The climate of corruption is also shaped by citizens themselves, namely by their dismissive attitude to corruption.In conclusion, it is noted that corrupt behavior is determined by the impact on the psyche of society - both micro and macro environment, conditions of socialization of the individual - assimilation of social norms in the process of education, upbringing and individual psychological properties.To better understand the social psychology of corruption, research is needed on the impact of group dynamics and interaction, social identity, trust, culture, and other factors on individual propensity to engage in corrupt behavior.It is also necessary to study political elites to understand how they perceive the costs and benefits of corrupt practices and how and why they rationalize such behavior.One of the tasks facing scientists should be to identify the causes and conditions that contribute to the formation of a loyal attitude to corruption in society. This, in turn, will create preconditions for the formation of a stable public opinion with a negative attitude to corruption (corruption resistance), as well as for the development of effective mechanisms of sustainable communication between public authorities and society.