Ethical system of rationality: psychological aspects and cognitive safeguards in governance

Abstract

Relevance of the study is determined by the need to reconsider the mechanisms of ensuring integrity in governance under conditions of limited effectiveness of post-factum control and anti-corruption procedures. It has been established that traditional approaches based on training and disciplinary enforcement do not eliminate the cognitive preconditions of deviant behavior, as they fail to account for the rigidity of core beliefs in adulthood.

The purpose of the article is to theoretically and empirically substantiate the ethical system “Reasonableness” as a cognitive-psychological foundation of integrity in public governance and to demonstrate the feasibility of applying the Reasonableness algorithm as a preventive mechanism in personnel selection within the public sector.

Research methods included systemic and cognitive-psychological analysis, interpretation of the principles of cognitive-behavioral theory, comparative generalization of international practices of integrity assessment, and conceptual modeling of a preventive cognitive audit mechanism.

Results indicate that the principle of Reasonableness functions as an internal cognitive algorithm for evaluating actions, embedded in the structure of core beliefs and cognitive schemas. It has been demonstrated that the ability to act within the limits of proportionality is determined by the configuration of basic beliefs formed during early developmental stages and cannot be reduced to mere knowledge of normative requirements. The limited effectiveness of corrective interventions in adulthood with respect to antisocial and corruption-oriented schemas has been identified. A model of the Reasonableness algorithm as a tool for verifying cognitive compatibility with public authority functions has been substantiated.

Conclusions suggest that integrity in governance is a characteristic of a formed cognitive structure rather than a product of post-appointment training. The economic rationality of shifting from a reactive control model to preventive cognitive screening has been justified.

Prospects for further research are associated with the development of a standardized psychometric protocol for cognitive auditing, empirical testing of its predictive validity, and economic modeling of its implementation within public administration systems.