Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0004-7805-0208

Semester

Spring

Date of Graduation

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

DBA

College

Chambers College of Business and Economics

Department

Marketing

Committee Chair

Jody Crosno

Committee Co-Chair

Paula Fitzgerald

Committee Member

Daniel Bonneau

Committee Member

Xinchun Wang

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are increasingly integrated into decision-making contexts, yet their influence on ethical judgment remains unclear. This study examines whether advice from an AI advisor, compared to a human advisor, affects moral susceptibility in a consumer decision-making scenario. Using a 2 × 2 between-subjects experimental design (advisor type × price condition), this research tests whether personal agency, perceived objectivity, and diffusion of responsibility operate as psychological mechanisms underlying ethical decision-making.

Results indicate that advisor type did not significantly influence moral susceptibility, nor did it significantly affect the proposed mediators. Additionally, the price condition did not moderate these relationships. However, internal cognitive factors emerged as strong predictors of behavior. Diffusion of responsibility was the most influential predictor of moral susceptibility, followed by perceived objectivity, while personal agency was not significant.

These findings suggest that ethical decision-making is driven more by internal cognitive processes than by the external source of advice. Contrary to expectations, the presence of AI alone does not appear to meaningfully alter moral judgment. This research contributes to literature by challenging assumptions that AI fundamentally changes ethical behavior and instead highlights the central role of psychological mechanisms in shaping morally relevant decisions. Implications are discussed for marketing, organizational decision-making, and the design of responsible AI systems.

Download

Share

COinS