New research suggests anticipating temptation could help people do the right thing.

Researchers at the University of Chicago found that when facing an ethical dilemma, being aware of the temptation before it happens and thinking about the long-term consequences of misbehaving could help more people improve their behavior by exercising self-control..

"Unethical behavior is rampant across various domains ranging from business and politics to education and sports," researcher Ayelet Fishbach said in a statement. "Organizations seeking to improve ethical behavior can do so by helping people recognize the cumulative impact of unethical acts and by providing warning cues for upcoming temptation."

For the study, researchers conducted a series of experiments that included common ethical dilemmas such as calling in sick to work and negotiating a home sale.

Based on their results, researchers found that two factors together promoted ethical behavior: Participants who identified a potential ethical dilemma as connected to other similar incidents and who also anticipated the temptation to act unethically were more likely to behave honestly than participants who did not.

Researchers said their findings will have the potential to help policy makers, educators and employers devise strategies to encourage people to behave ethically.

The findings are detailed in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.