Abstract: This study seeks to examine how social interactions influence temporal factors in the lifecycle of corruption. Based on the temporal perspective， this study decomposes the life cycle of corruption cases into three stages：formation， persistence and reproduction. It proposes three corresponding temporal concepts of corruption: the speed of descent into corruption by power holders， the latent period of corruption， and the frequency of corrupt behaviors. Three major findings were yielded from the statistical analysis of the dataset of around 24000 corruption indictments. First， continuous social interactions around public power produce a two-way inducement effect between bribe-takers and bribe-givers， which significantly shortens the time interval between a corrupt official's tenure of office and the first offence committed. Second， by blending corrupt transactions in normal social exchanges， social interactions significantly prolong the latent period of corruption， that is， the time interval between the first crime and indictment. Third， social interactions can lead to the routinization of bribery transactions based on functional autonomy， and therefore accelerate the frequency of corruption， that is， the time intervals between recurring offences. This study argues that the major difference between bribery and embezzlement lies in whether there is a complex social interaction revolving around public power. Therefore， compared to embezzlement， bribery mingled in social interactions exhibits a much quicker path to crime， a longer latent period， and a higher frequency. This paper proposes three variables for measuring the life cycle of corruption from a temporal perspective， with a view to providing new perspectives on corruption measurement. It brings about an important shift in the understanding of corruption from an individual event to a process analysis， and deepens the understanding of the formation mechanisms of corrupt behavior and its governance.

Key words: social interaction, the lifecycle of corruption, the temporal perspective, bribery, embezzlement