Greed as an adaptation to anomie: The mediating role of belief in a zero-sum game and the buffering effect of internal locus of control

Abstract Greed is associated with many negative consequences. However, knowledge regarding why and when people behave greedily is limited. Anomie is the perception of the disordering of social structures, destruction of social regulations, and breaking down of moral standards. The current study explored the relationship between anomie and greed, the underlying mechanism and the boundary condition of this relationship. A sample of 279 participants (Mage = 35.85, SD = 8.74) completed the questionnaire sets and passed the validity checks. The results indicated that anomie was positively associated with greed and that belief in a zero-sum game (BZSG) partially mediated this relationship. Moreover, the effect was moderated by internal locus of control (ILOC). Specifically, an indirect relationship was found only among people with low ILOC but not those with high ILOC. The theoretical implications of the results and future research directions are discussed.