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Owusu-Boaitey N, Aulisio M. Moral persuasion for value-laden objections to human papillomavirus vaccination. PATIENT EDUCATION AND COUNSELING 2024; 125:108296. [PMID: 38688093 DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2024.108296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
The martial art of jiu jitsu capitalizes on the strength of a sparring partner by redirecting their momentum. Jiu jitsu persuasion similarly redirects the concerns motivating an objection in a manner that undermines the objection. This method of persuasion effectively addresses criticisms that motivate vaccine hesitancy, including moral criticisms. Critics argue that human papillomavirus vaccination causes young women to become more promiscuous. Evidence undermines this objection, but such evidence fails to persuade many objectors because of countervailing moral concerns regarding promiscuity. Healthcare professionals, therefore, need to consider supplementing evidence with moral arguments against the objection, using a framework that appeals to the core values motivating vaccine objections. A jiu jitsu model of persuasion is one such framework. By employing a jiu jitsu model healthcare professionals can facilitate collaborative, normative discussion that persuades more objectors and fulfills healthcare professionals' obligations with respect to patient care vis-à-vis vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nana Owusu-Boaitey
- Department of Bioethics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.
| | - Mark Aulisio
- Department of Bioethics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
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2
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Diegel KJ, Barth TM, Lord CG. Developing an Ethical Perspectives Scale. Psychol Rep 2024:332941241269518. [PMID: 39060031 DOI: 10.1177/00332941241269518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
Many theories hold that ethical perspectives inform moral judgments, but few such theories have corresponding individual difference scales. The present research aimed to develop an Ethical Perspectives Scale (EPS) reflecting specifically the five-perspective Markkula framework: utilitarianism; rights; fairness/justice; common good; and virtue. The authors wrote and progressively revised five sets of three items, each set intended to represent one and only one Markkula perspective, before obtaining responses from the present convenience sample (n = 621; 463 female, 157 male, 1 unspecified; Mage = 19.13, SD = 1.44) of university students. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO = 0.867) and Bartlett's sphericity tests (χ2 = 3211.5, p < .001) showed that the data were suitable for factor analysis. An EFA with Direct Oblimin rotation yielded a five-factor structure corresponding to the five Markkula perspectives. A CFA yielded satisfactory indices of fit (χ2(80) = 92.81, p = .155, CFI = 0.991, TLI = 0.989, SRMR = 0.039, RMSEA = 0.023, HI90 ≤ .001, and LO90 = 0.041). The five subscales displayed satisfactory internal consistency (M subscale α = .76). Responses from a separate student sample (n = 148) yielded satisfactory three-week test-retest reliability (M subscale r = .72). EPS sub-scales significantly predicted evaluations of contemporary moral dilemma decisions that involved drug legalization, free speech, and pandemic restrictions. The results were interpreted as promising first steps toward an EPS useful for future research and application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin J Diegel
- Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Timothy M Barth
- Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Charles G Lord
- Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX, USA
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3
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Hart W, Wahlers DE, Cease CK, Lambert JT, Castagna P. Shining the "Light" on Moral Foundations: Light Versus Dark Personality Relates More Strongly to Moral Foundations. Psychol Rep 2024:332941241264786. [PMID: 39047070 DOI: 10.1177/00332941241264786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Endorsement of the moral foundations specified by Moral Foundations Theory (MFT) can sometimes fail to relate negatively to certain dispositions indicative of bad moral character. This evidence has fueled some concerns over whether the moral foundations in MFT are "moral." To increase understanding of how moral foundations relate to moral character, we proposed the "asymmetry hypothesis." This hypothesis states that "good" character is a more powerful predictor of each moral foundation than "bad" character. Put differently, there is an asymmetry in the strength (not merely direction) with which the moral foundations relate to encompassing indicators of good versus bad character. This is important because it suggests that links between the moral foundations and moral character will be somewhat concealed by focusing on bad character and/or not considering encompassing indicators of good character. A sample of college participants (N = 514) rated their endorsement of moral foundations and completed two sets of measures that represented encompassing indicators of both good and bad character. The data supported the asymmetry hypothesis: Each encompassing good-character assessment was a stronger predictor of each moral foundation than its corresponding encompassing bad-character assessment. Furthermore, variance unique to any good-character assessment had about moderate relations with each moral foundation, but variance unique to any bad-character assessment had no more than small relations with each moral foundation. The study provides a more nuanced understanding of how moral character relates to moral foundations and highlights utility in considering moral character as multidimensional.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Hart
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | | | - Charlotte K Cease
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Joshua T Lambert
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Peter Castagna
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
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4
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Galgali MS, Helm PJ, Arndt J. The Role of Moral Concerns and Institutional Trust in Conspiratorial Thinking. THE JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2024:1-18. [PMID: 39033531 DOI: 10.1080/00224545.2024.2380839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Conspiracy theories often feature moral concerns and thrive when societal institutions are perceived as untrustworthy. However, limited research exists exploring whether moral concerns are associated with conspiracy thinking and if this link is strengthened when institutional trust is low. Two studies employing correlational (N = 423) and experimental (N = 381) designs found that liberty moral concerns, and to a lesser extent binding concerns, are associated with increased conspiratorial thinking, particularly when institutional trust is low. Moral concerns about liberty may contribute to increased conspiratorial thinking and low institutional trust may play a key role in exacerbating this link.
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Fleming WH, Smigelsky MA. Enhancing the Utility of the Moral Injury Experience Wheel: Manualized Applications for Diverse Contexts. JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND HEALTH 2024:10.1007/s10943-024-02082-9. [PMID: 38992253 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-024-02082-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Moral injury has emerged as an important construct for understanding the distress experienced in the aftermath of a moral violation, initially among combat veterans and increasingly among other populations, such as healthcare workers and first responders. While numerous measures have been validated to assess for exposure to potentially morally injurious events and/or sequelae, additional tools are needed to facilitate nuanced discussion of the experience of moral injury in therapeutic encounters. The Moral Injury Experience Wheel (MIEW; Fleming, 2023) is an infographic instrument that is designed to elicit precise language and help differentiate feelings in an effort to process morally perplexing circumstances. This paper describes the contents and potential clinical applications of a newly developed manual to guide the use of the MIEW. The MIEW and manual are designed to be used independently or alongside existing moral injury interventions. A case study featuring the use of the MIEW and manual demonstrates how the tools can be used in a professional healthcare setting. Recommendations for moral injury care practitioners are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wesley H Fleming
- Clinical Chaplain, Syracuse VAMC, 800 Irving Ave, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA.
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6
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Ahluwalia-McMeddes A, Moore A, Marr C, Kunders Z. Moral trade-offs reveal foundational representations that predict unique variance in political attitudes. BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 38979983 DOI: 10.1111/bjso.12781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Moral Foundations Theory (MFT) explains variation in moral judgements on the basis of multiple innate, intuitive foundations and has been subject to criticism over recent years. Prior research has tended to rely on explicit self-report in the Moral Foundations Questionnaire (MFQ). In contrast, we seek to capture intuitive choices between foundations in a novel task - the Moral Foundations Conflict Task (MFCT). Across four studies, responses on this task reflect foundations measured by the MFQ (study 1), are not altered under cognitive load or reduced cognitive control (studies 2a and 2b); and explain unique variance in political orientation and related constructs (study 3). Furthermore, using responses and response times generated on the MFCT, we present a computationally explicit model of foundation-related intuitive judgements and show that these patterns are consistent with the theoretical claims of MFT. These findings show that the MFCT outperforms the MFQ and can contribute to the understanding of moral value conflicts, furthering debate on the nature of moral values.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adam Moore
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Calum Marr
- Centre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Zara Kunders
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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7
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Dunivan DW, Mann P, Collins D, Wittmer DP. Expanding the empirical study of virtual reality beyond empathy to compassion, moral reasoning, and moral foundations. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1402754. [PMID: 38984284 PMCID: PMC11231641 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1402754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
This study utilizes a controlled experimental design to investigate the influence of a virtual reality experience on empathy, compassion, moral reasoning, and moral foundations. With continued debate and mixed results from previous studies attempting to show relationships between virtual reality and empathy, this study takes advantage of the technology for its ability to provide a consistent, repeatable experience, broadening the scope of analysis beyond empathy. A systematic literature review identified the most widely used and validated moral psychology assessments for the constructs, and these assessments were administered before and after the virtual reality experience. The study is comprised of two pre-post experiments with student participants from a university in the United States. The first experiment investigated change in empathy and moral foundations among 44 participants, and the second investigated change in compassion and moral reasoning among 69 participants. The results showed no significant change in empathy nor compassion, but significant change in moral reasoning from personal interest to post-conventional stages, and significant increase in the Care/harm factor of moral foundations. By testing four of the primary constructs of moral psychology with the most widely used and validated assessments in controlled experiments, this study attempts to advance our understanding of virtual reality and its potential to influence human morality. It also raises questions about our self-reported assessment tools and provides possible new insights for the constructs examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis W. Dunivan
- Daniels College of Business, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United States
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8
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Silwal A, Dayton ZA. Understanding the Political Frames of the Opioid Crisis: A Content Analysis of U.S. Senators' Tweets. HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2024:1-15. [PMID: 38862402 DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2024.2364465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
The opioid epidemic in the United States is a public health emergency that has triggered calls to action for policy reforms. However, variations exist between political parties and policymakers on how this issue is communicated to the public. With the substantial growth in the use of social media by policymakers as a tool for disseminating policy-related information affecting their constituents, examining their communication strategies on public health emergency issues is imperative. To better understand how U.S. Senate members use Twitter (now known as X) to communicate opioid-related issues, we conducted a quantitative content analysis of their opioid-related tweets (N = 697) from January 1 to August 25 2022. Findings reveal a significant political divide regarding how senators characterize the opioid crisis, influencing user engagement on Twitter. Guided by the moral foundation theory, the results suggest that Democratic senators were more likely to employ care/harm or fairness/cheating moral foundations, relative to Republican senators, who used more loyalty/betrayal or authority/subversion. Additionally, Democratic senators framed the opioid crisis as a health or policy issue, relative to Republican senators' immigration/border frame. For inclusion of information sources, Democratic senators included significantly more health sources compared to Republican senators' use of media or law enforcement sources. Issue frame and source type significantly influenced user engagement in the form of likes and retweets. These findings provide both practical and theoretical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Silwal
- Department of Communication, University of Kentucky
- Substance Use Priority Research Area, University of Kentucky
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Sun J, Wilt J, Meindl P, Watkins HM, Goodwin GP. How and why people want to be more moral. J Pers 2024; 92:907-925. [PMID: 36652292 DOI: 10.1111/jopy.12812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE What types of moral improvements do people wish to make? Do they hope to become more good, or less bad? Do they wish to be more caring? More honest? More loyal? And why exactly do they want to become more moral? Presumably, most people want to improve their morality because this would benefit others, but is this in fact their primary motivation? Here, we begin to investigate these questions. METHOD Across two large, preregistered studies (N = 1818), participants provided open-ended descriptions of one change they could make in order to become more moral; they then reported their beliefs about and motives for this change. RESULTS In both studies, people most frequently expressed desires to improve their compassion and more often framed their moral improvement goals in terms of amplifying good behaviors than curbing bad ones. The strongest predictor of moral motivation was the extent to which people believed that making the change would have positive consequences for their own well-being. CONCLUSIONS Together, these studies provide rich descriptive insights into how ordinary people want to be more moral, and show that they are particularly motivated to do so for their own sake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessie Sun
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Joshua Wilt
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Peter Meindl
- United States Military Academy, West Point, New York, USA
| | - Hanne M Watkins
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Geoffrey P Goodwin
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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10
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He Y, Gu R, Deng G, Lin Y, Gan T, Cui F, Liu C, Luo YJ. Psychological and Brain Responses to Artificial Intelligence's Violation of Community Ethics. CYBERPSYCHOLOGY, BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL NETWORKING 2024. [PMID: 38757680 DOI: 10.1089/cyber.2023.0524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Human moral reactions to artificial intelligence (AI) agents' behavior constitute an important aspect of modern-day human-AI relationships. Although previous studies have mainly focused on autonomy ethics, this study investigates how individuals judge AI agents' violations of community ethics (including betrayals and subversions) compared with human violations. Participants' behavioral responses, event-related potentials (ERPs), and individual differences were assessed. Behavioral findings reveal that participants rated AI agents' community-violating actions less morally negative than human transgressions, possibly because AI agents are commonly perceived as having less agency than human adults. The ERP N1 component showed the same pattern with moral rating scores, indicating the modulation effect of human-AI differences on initial moral intuitions. Moreover, the level of social withdrawal correlated with a smaller N1 in the human condition but not in the AI condition. The N2 and P2 components were sensitive to the difference between the loyalty/betrayal and authority/subversion domains but not human/AI differences. Individual levels of moral sense and autistic traits also influenced behavioral data, especially on the loyalty/betrayal domain. In our opinion, these findings offer insights for predicting moral responses to AI agents and guiding ethical AI development aligned with human moral values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue He
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruolei Gu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Guangzhi Deng
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education (BNU), Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongling Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Tian Gan
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
- Research Institute on Aging, School of Science, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Fang Cui
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Center, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Chao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yue-Jia Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- Institute for Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, People's Republic of China
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11
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Greenberg YDM, Holt R, Allison C, Smith P, Newman R, Boardman-Pretty T, Haidt J, Baron-Cohen S. Moral foundations in autistic people and people with systemizing minds. Mol Autism 2024; 15:20. [PMID: 38745228 PMCID: PMC11092219 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-024-00591-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Do autistic people share the same moral foundations as typical people? Here we built on two prominent theories in psychology, moral foundations theory and the empathizing-systemizing (E-S) theory, to observe the nature of morality in autistic people and systemizers. METHODS In dataset 1, we measured five foundations of moral judgements (Care, Fairness, Loyalty, Authority, and Sanctity) measured by the Moral Foundations Questionnaire (MFQ) in autistic (n = 307) and typical people (n = 415) along with their scores on the Empathy Quotient (EQ) and Systemizing Quotient (SQ). In dataset 2, we measured these same five foundations along with E-S cognitive types (previously referred to as "brain types") in a large sample of typical people (N = 7595). RESULTS Autistic people scored the same on Care (i.e., concern for others) as typical people (h1). Their affective empathy (but not their cognitive empathy) scores were positively correlated with Care. Autistic people were more likely to endorse Fairness (i.e., giving people what they are owed, and treating them with justice) over Care (h2). Their systemizing scores were positively correlated with Fairness. Autistic people or those with a systemizing cognitive profile had lower scores on binding foundations: Loyalty, Authority, and Sanctity (h3). Systemizing in typical people was positively correlated with Liberty (i.e., hypervigilance against oppression), which is a sixth moral foundation (h4). Although the majority of people in all five E-S cognitive types self-identified as liberal, with a skew towards empathizing (h5), the percentage of libertarians was highest in systemizing cognitive types (h6). E-S cognitive types accounted for 2 to 3 times more variance for Care than did sex. LIMITATIONS Our study is limited by its reliance on self-report measures and a focus on moral judgements rather than behavior or decision-making. Further, only dataset 2 measured political identification, therefore we were unable to assess politics in autistic people. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that some moral foundations in autistic people are similar to those in typical people (despite the difficulties in social interaction that are part of autism), and some are subtly different. These subtle differences vary depending on empathizing and systemizing cognitive types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeshaya David M Greenberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- CHIME Research, Center for Health Innovation, Music, and Education, Marlton, NJ, USA.
| | - Rosemary Holt
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Carrie Allison
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Paula Smith
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Robbie Newman
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Theo Boardman-Pretty
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jonathan Haidt
- Stern School of Business, New York University, New York, USA
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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Costa PJC, Moreira PAS. The Dimensionality of the Moral Foundations: Contributions from the Moral Foundations Sacredness Scale in Four Societies. J Pers Assess 2024; 106:361-371. [PMID: 37594306 DOI: 10.1080/00223891.2023.2245895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Moral Foundations Theory proposes that five innate modules offer an intuitive response that drives our moral judgments. Various instruments were developed to measure the five moral foundations, including the MFV and the MFQ-30 which focus on deliberative moral reasoning. This approach is limited because intuitions are more basic and affect-laden. The Moral Foundations Sacredness Scale (MFSS) was designed to elicit responses that more closely resemble these phenomena. However, studies have not converged on a factorial structure for the MFSS, and measurement invariance has never been assessed. Our study sought to evaluate these properties across four adult samples, via Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling, and the associations between the MFSS's scales and relevant constructs. We found that a two-factor solution, reflecting the individualizing and binding foundations, had a reasonable fit, and had invariance (configural, metric, and scalar) across gender, age groups, and (configural) four international samples. The scales were reliable, had construct validity with the MFQ-30, and criterion-related validity with the binding moderately predicting belief in God/spirit and religious behaviors. The convergence we found regarding the MFSS's factorial structure across groups has important implications for the dimensionality of these constructs, and - ultimately - for the development of Moral Foundations Theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro J C Costa
- Centro de Investigação em Psicologia para o Desenvolvimento (CIPD), Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação, Universidade Lusíada, Porto, Portugal
| | - Paulo A S Moreira
- Centro de Investigação em Psicologia para o Desenvolvimento (CIPD), Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Educação e Psicologia, Escola de Ciências Humanas e Sociais, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
- Centro de Investigação e Intervenção Educativa (CIIE), FPCE, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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13
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Rose H, Sanders CA, Willett C, King LA. Target Happiness Attenuates Perceivers' Moral Condemnation of Prejudiced People. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2024:1461672241240160. [PMID: 38661132 DOI: 10.1177/01461672241240160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Five experiments (combined N = 4,915) tested the prediction that the moral boost of happiness would persist for social targets with moral failings. In Studies 1 and 2, White and Black participants, respectively, judged happy (versus unhappy) racist targets more morally good. In Study 3, happy (versus unhappy) racist targets were judged more morally good and less (more) likely to engage in racist (good) behavior. Behavioral expectations explained the link between happiness and moral evaluations. Study 4 replicated Studies 1 to 3 in the context of sexism. In Study 5, happy (versus unhappy) targets who engaged in racially biased behavior were evaluated as more morally good, and this effect was explained by behavioral forecasts. Happiness boosts attributions of moral goodness for prejudiced people and does so via expectations for future behavior. Future directions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hope Rose
- University of Missouri, Columbia, USA
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14
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Weber R, Hopp FR, Eden A, Fisher JT, Lee HE. Vicarious punishment of moral violations in naturalistic drama narratives predicts cortical synchronization. Neuroimage 2024; 292:120613. [PMID: 38631616 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Punishment of moral norm violators is instrumental for human cooperation. Yet, social and affective neuroscience research has primarily focused on second- and third-party norm enforcement, neglecting the neural architecture underlying observed (vicarious) punishment of moral wrongdoers. We used naturalistic television drama as a sampling space for observing outcomes of morally-relevant behaviors to assess how individuals cognitively process dynamically evolving moral actions and their consequences. Drawing on Affective Disposition Theory, we derived hypotheses linking character morality with viewers' neural processing of characters' rewards and punishments. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine neural responses of 28 female participants while free-viewing 15 short story summary video clips of episodes from a popular US television soap opera. Each summary included a complete narrative structure, fully crossing main character behaviors (moral/immoral) and the consequences (reward/punishment) characters faced for their actions. Narrative engagement was examined via intersubject correlation and representational similarity analysis. Highest cortical synchronization in 9 specifically selected regions previously implicated in processing moral information was observed when characters who act immorally are punished for their actions with participants' empathy as an important moderator. The results advance our understanding of the moral brain and the role of normative considerations and character outcomes in viewers' engagement with popular narratives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rene Weber
- University of California, Santa Barbara, Department of Communication - Media Neuroscience Lab; University of California, Santa Barbara, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences; Ewha Womans University, Department of Communication and Media.
| | - Frederic R Hopp
- University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam School of Communication Research
| | - Allison Eden
- Michigan State University, Department of Communication
| | | | - Hye-Eun Lee
- Ewha Womans University, Department of Communication and Media
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15
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Macanovic A, Przepiorka W. A systematic evaluation of text mining methods for short texts: Mapping individuals' internal states from online posts. Behav Res Methods 2024; 56:2782-2803. [PMID: 38575776 PMCID: PMC11133038 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-024-02381-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Short texts generated by individuals in online environments can provide social and behavioral scientists with rich insights into these individuals' internal states. Trained manual coders can reliably interpret expressions of such internal states in text. However, manual coding imposes restrictions on the number of texts that can be analyzed, limiting our ability to extract insights from large-scale textual data. We evaluate the performance of several automatic text analysis methods in approximating trained human coders' evaluations across four coding tasks encompassing expressions of motives, norms, emotions, and stances. Our findings suggest that commonly used dictionaries, although performing well in identifying infrequent categories, generate false positives too frequently compared to other methods. We show that large language models trained on manually coded data yield the highest performance across all case studies. However, there are also instances where simpler methods show almost equal performance. Additionally, we evaluate the effectiveness of cutting-edge generative language models like GPT-4 in coding texts for internal states with the help of short instructions (so-called zero-shot classification). While promising, these models fall short of the performance of models trained on manually analyzed data. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of various models and explore the trade-offs between model complexity and performance in different applications. Our work informs social and behavioral scientists of the challenges associated with text mining of large textual datasets, while providing best-practice recommendations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Macanovic
- Department of Sociology/ICS, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Wojtek Przepiorka
- Department of Sociology/ICS, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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16
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Luttrell A, Trentadue JT. Advocating for Mask-Wearing Across the Aisle: Applying Moral Reframing in Health Communication. HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2024; 39:270-282. [PMID: 36624965 DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2022.2163535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States public polarized along political lines in their willingness to adopt various health-protective measures. To bridge these political divides, we tested moral reframing as a tool for advocating for wearing face masks when audiences vary in their moral priorities. We additionally address a gap in prior moral reframing research by comparing responses to a topic-relevant non-moral appeal. Across two studies, we examined effects on perceived message effectiveness, intentions to wear masks, support for a nationwide mask mandate, and willingness to share messages on social media. We find support for the efficacy of ideology-matched moral arguments and generally find support for the boomerang effect of ideology-mismatched moral arguments. However, these effects were restricted to relatively liberal audiences; politically conservative message recipients did not differentiate between message conditions. We discuss these asymmetric effects and their implications for theory in moral rhetoric.
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Liang Y, Huang L, Liu L, Tan X, Ren D. Impacts of Unethical Behavior on Self-Esteem: A Contingent Dual-Process Model. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2024:1461672241236983. [PMID: 38506187 DOI: 10.1177/01461672241236983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Previous studies have reported mixed findings on how and why unethical behavior affects self-esteem. To address this issue, a contingent dual-process model is proposed and tested. The model postulates a negative impact of unethical behavior on self-esteem through decreased morality, a positive effect through increased competence, and the relative strength of these two paths depending on system-justifying motives. Studies using unethical behavior for self-interest (Studies 1 and 2), involving ingroup interest (Study 3), and measuring (Studies 1 and 3) and manipulating general system justification (Study 2) provide support for the model. By identifying the effects of system-justifying motives and linking the two competing paths, the model reconciles inconsistencies in previous research regarding how self-esteem is influenced by unethical behavior and reveals the underlying mechanism of this association. Accordingly, the current research constructs a motivational and superordinate framework to clarify the dynamic consequences of unethical behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Liang
- Army Engineering University of PLA, Xuzhou, China
- Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Li Liu
- Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xuyun Tan
- Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Deyun Ren
- Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China
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18
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Gawronski B, Ng NL. Beyond Trolleyology: The CNI Model of Moral-Dilemma Responses. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW 2024:10888683241234114. [PMID: 38477027 DOI: 10.1177/10888683241234114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
PUBLIC ABSTRACT How do people make judgments about actions that violate moral norms yet maximize the greater good (e.g., sacrificing the well-being of a small number of people for the well-being of a larger number of people)? Research on this question has been criticized for relying on highly artificial scenarios and for conflating multiple distinct factors underlying responses in moral dilemmas. The current article reviews research that used a computational modeling approach to disentangle the roles of multiple distinct factors in responses to plausible moral dilemmas based on real-world events. By disentangling sensitivity to consequences, sensitivity to moral norms, and general preference for inaction versus action in responses to realistic dilemmas, the reviewed work provides a more nuanced understanding of how people make judgments about the right course of action in moral dilemmas.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nyx L Ng
- The University of Texas at Austin, USA
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19
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Andersson PA, Vartanova I, Västfjäll D, Tinghög G, Strimling P, Wu J, Hazin I, Akotia CS, Aldashev A, Andrighetto G, Anum A, Arikan G, Bagherian F, Barrera D, Basnight-Brown D, Batkeyev B, Berezina E, Björnstjerna M, Boski P, Bovina I, Huyen BTT, Čekrlija Đ, Choi HS, Contreras-Ibáñez CC, Costa-Lopes R, de Barra M, de Zoysa P, Dorrough AR, Dvoryanchikov N, Engelmann JB, Euh H, Fang X, Fiedler S, Foster-Gimbel OA, Fülöp M, Gardarsdottir RB, Gill CMHD, Glöckner A, Graf S, Grigoryan A, Gritskov V, Growiec K, Halama P, Hartanto A, Hopthrow T, Hřebíčková M, Iliško D, Imada H, Kapoor H, Kawakami K, Khachatryan N, Kharchenko N, Kiyonari T, Kohút M, Leslie LM, Li Y, Li NP, Li Z, Liik K, Maitner AT, Manhique B, Manley H, Medhioub I, Mentser S, Nejat P, Nipassa O, Nussinson R, Onyedire NG, Onyishi IE, Panagiotopoulou P, Perez-Floriano LR, Persson M, Pirttilä-Backman AM, Pogosyan M, Raver J, Rodrigues RB, Romanò S, Romero PP, Sakki I, San Martin A, Sherbaji S, Shimizu H, Simpson B, Szabo E, Takemura K, Teixeira MLM, Thanomkul N, Tiliouine H, Travaglino GA, Tsirbas Y, Widodo S, Zein R, Zirganou-Kazolea L, Eriksson K. Anger and disgust shape judgments of social sanctions across cultures, especially in high individual autonomy societies. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5591. [PMID: 38454068 PMCID: PMC10920647 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55815-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
When someone violates a social norm, others may think that some sanction would be appropriate. We examine how the experience of emotions like anger and disgust relate to the judged appropriateness of sanctions, in a pre-registered analysis of data from a large-scale study in 56 societies. Across the world, we find that individuals who experience anger and disgust over a norm violation are more likely to endorse confrontation, ostracism and, to a smaller extent, gossip. Moreover, we find that the experience of anger is consistently the strongest predictor of judgments of confrontation, compared to other emotions. Although the link between state-based emotions and judgments may seem universal, its strength varies across countries. Aligned with theoretical predictions, this link is stronger in societies, and among individuals, that place higher value on individual autonomy. Thus, autonomy values may increase the role that emotions play in guiding judgments of social sanctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Per A Andersson
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden.
- JEDILab, Division of Economics, Department of Management and Engineering, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
| | - Irina Vartanova
- Institute for Futures Studies, Box 591, 101 31, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Daniel Västfjäll
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Gustav Tinghög
- JEDILab, Division of Economics, Department of Management and Engineering, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- JEDILab, Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linkoping University, Linkoping, Sweden
| | - Pontus Strimling
- Institute for Futures Studies, Box 591, 101 31, Stockholm, Sweden
- The Institute for Analytical Sociology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Junhui Wu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lincui Road 16, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Isabela Hazin
- Institute for Futures Studies, Box 591, 101 31, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Charity S Akotia
- Department of Psychology, University of Ghana, Legon, P.O. Box LG 84, Accra, Ghana
| | - Alisher Aldashev
- International School of Economics, Kazakh-British Technical University, 59 Tole Bi Street, 050000, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Giulia Andrighetto
- Institute for Futures Studies, Box 591, 101 31, Stockholm, Sweden
- Mälardalen University, 721 23, Västerås, Sweden
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council of Italy, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Adote Anum
- Department of Psychology, University of Ghana, Legon, P.O. Box LG 84, Accra, Ghana
| | - Gizem Arikan
- Department of Political Science, Trinity College Dublin, 2-3 College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Fatemeh Bagherian
- Faculty of Education and Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, 1983969411, Iran
| | - Davide Barrera
- University of Turin and Collegio Carlo Alberto, Lungo Dora Siena 100, 10124, Turin, Italy
| | - Dana Basnight-Brown
- School of Humanities and Social Sciences, United States International University Africa, Box 14634 00800, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Birzhan Batkeyev
- International School of Economics, Kazakh-British Technical University, 59 Tole Bi Street, 050000, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Elizaveta Berezina
- Sunway University, No. 5, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Sunway, 47500, Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | | | - Paweł Boski
- SWPS University, Chodakowska 19-31, 03-815, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Inna Bovina
- Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Sretenka Str., 29, 127051, Moscow, Russia
| | - Bui Thi Thu Huyen
- Hanoi National University of Education, 136 Xuan Thuy Street, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Đorđe Čekrlija
- Faculty of Philosophy, University of Banja Luka, Vojvode Petra Bojovića 1A, 78000, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Institute of Psychology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Hoon-Seok Choi
- Department of Psychology, Sungkyunkwan University, 25-2, Sungkyunkwan-Ro, Jongno-Gu, Seoul, 03063, Republic of Korea
| | - Carlos C Contreras-Ibáñez
- Departamento de Sociología, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Unidad Iztapalapa, Av. Rafael Atlixco 186, Col. Vicentina, 09340, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Rui Costa-Lopes
- Instituto de Ciências Sociais, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Anibal de Bettencourt, 9, 1600-189, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Mícheál de Barra
- Center for Culture and Evolution, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Piyanjali de Zoysa
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Kynsey Road, Colombo 8, Sri Lanka
| | - Angela R Dorrough
- Department of Psychology, University of Cologne, Richard-Strauss-Str. 2, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Nikolay Dvoryanchikov
- Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Sretenka Str., 29, 127051, Moscow, Russia
| | - Jan B Engelmann
- Center for Research in Experimental Economics and Political Decision Making (CREED), Amsterdam School of Economics, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 15867, 1001 NJ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hyun Euh
- Gies College of Business, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 S 6Th St., Champaign, IL, 61820, USA
| | - Xia Fang
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, 148 Tianmushan Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Susann Fiedler
- Vienna University of Economics and Business, Welthandelsplatz 1, 1020, Vienna, Austria
| | - Olivia A Foster-Gimbel
- Stern School of Business, New York University, 40 West 4Th Street, Tisch Hall, Suite 700, New York, NY, 10012, USA
| | - Márta Fülöp
- HUN-REN Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre of Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
- Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church, Bécsi Út 324, Budapest, 1034, Hungary
| | - Ragna B Gardarsdottir
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Iceland, Nyi Gardur, Saemundargata 12, IS-102, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - C M Hew D Gill
- Sunway University, No. 5, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Sunway, 47500, Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
- Universal College Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Andreas Glöckner
- Department of Psychology, University of Cologne, Richard-Strauss-Str. 2, 50931, Cologne, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods, Kurt-Schumacher-Str. 10, 53113, Bonn, Germany
| | - Sylvie Graf
- Institute of Psychology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Veveří 97, 602 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ani Grigoryan
- Department of Personality Psychology, Yerevan State University, Alex Manoogian 1, 0025, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Vladimir Gritskov
- Saint Petersburg State University, 7-9 Universitetskaya Emb., St Petersburg, 199034, Russia
| | | | - Peter Halama
- Center for Social and Psychological Sciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 841 04, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Andree Hartanto
- School of Social Sciences, Singapore Management University, 90 Stamford Road, Singapore, 178903, Singapore
| | - Tim Hopthrow
- School of Psychology, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NP, UK
| | - Martina Hřebíčková
- Institute of Psychology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Veveří 97, 602 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Dzintra Iliško
- Daugavpils University, Latvia, Parades Street 1, Room 432, Daugvapils, 5400, Latvia
| | - Hirotaka Imada
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Hansika Kapoor
- Department of Psychology, Monk Prayogshala, 4114, C Wing, Oberoi Garden Estates, Off Saki Vihar Road, Andheri East, Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400072, India
| | - Kerry Kawakami
- Department of Psychology, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Narine Khachatryan
- Department of Personality Psychology, Yerevan State University, Alex Manoogian 1, 0025, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Natalia Kharchenko
- Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, Voloska Str., 8/5, Build. 4, Kyiv, 04070, Ukraine
| | - Toko Kiyonari
- Aoyama Gakuin University, 5-10-1, Fuchinobe, Chuo-Ku, Sagamihara-City, Kanagawa, 252-5258, Japan
| | - Michal Kohút
- Faculty of Philosophy and Arts, University of Trnava, Hornopotočná 23, 918 43, Trnava, Slovakia
| | - Lisa M Leslie
- Stern School of Business, New York University, 40 West 4Th Street, Tisch Hall, Suite 700, New York, NY, 10012, USA
| | - Yang Li
- Melbourne School of Psychological Science, University of Melbourne, 1116 Redmond Barry Building, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Norman P Li
- School of Social Sciences, Singapore Management University, 90 Stamford Road, Singapore, 178903, Singapore
| | - Zhuo Li
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON, N6A 5C2, Canada
| | - Kadi Liik
- School of Natural Sciences and Health, Tallinn University, Narva Rd 25, 10120, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Angela T Maitner
- Department of Psychology, American University of Sharjah, PO Box 26666, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Bernardo Manhique
- Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Department of Sociology, Eduardo Mondlane University, Av. Julius Nyerere, 3453, Main Campus, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Harry Manley
- Faculty of Behavioral Sciences, Education, & Languages, HELP University Subang 2, Subang Jaya, Malaysia
- Faculty of Psychology, Chulalongkorn University, 254 Phayathai Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Imed Medhioub
- Department of Finance, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), P.O. Box 5701, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sari Mentser
- Department of Education and Psychology, The Open University of Israel, 1 University Road, 4353701, Raanana, Israel
| | - Pegah Nejat
- Faculty of Education and Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, 1983969411, Iran
| | - Orlando Nipassa
- Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Department of Sociology, Eduardo Mondlane University, Av. Julius Nyerere, 3453, Main Campus, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Ravit Nussinson
- Department of Education and Psychology, The Open University of Israel, 1 University Road, 4353701, Raanana, Israel
- Institute of Information Processing and Decision Making, University of Haifa, Abba Khoushy Ave 199, 3498838, Haifa, Israel
| | - Nneoma G Onyedire
- Department of Psychology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 41000, Nigeria
| | - Ike E Onyishi
- Department of Psychology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 41000, Nigeria
| | - Penny Panagiotopoulou
- Department of Education and Social Work, University of Patras, 26500, Rion, Patras, Greece
| | - Lorena R Perez-Floriano
- Facultad de Economía y Empresa, Universidad Diego Portales, Av. Sta. Clara 797, Huechuraba, Región Metropolitana, Chile
| | - Minna Persson
- Institute for Futures Studies, Box 591, 101 31, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna-Maija Pirttilä-Backman
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Social Psychology, University of Helsinki, PO Box 54 (Unioninkatu 37), 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Marianna Pogosyan
- Leadership and Management, Amsterdam Business School, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 15953, 1001 NB, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jana Raver
- Queen's University, Goodes Hall, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Ricardo Borges Rodrigues
- Instituto Universitário de Lisboa ISCTE-IUL, CIS, Avenida das Forças Armadas, 1649-026, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Sara Romanò
- Department of Culture, Politics and Society, University of Turin, 10135, Turin, Italy
| | - Pedro P Romero
- Experimental and Computational Economics Lab (ECEL), School of Economics, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Diego de Robles y Pampite, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Inari Sakki
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Social Psychology, University of Helsinki, PO Box 42 (Unioninkatu 33), 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Alvaro San Martin
- IESE Business School, Camino del Cerro del Águila, 3, 28023, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sara Sherbaji
- Department of International Studies, American University of Sharjah, PO Box 26666, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Hiroshi Shimizu
- Kwansei Gakuin University, 1-155 Uegahara 1Bancho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, 662-8501, Japan
| | - Brent Simpson
- Department of Sociology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA
| | - Erna Szabo
- Department of International Management, Johannes Kepler University, Altenberger Str. 69, 4040, Linz, Austria
| | - Kosuke Takemura
- Faculty of Economics, Shiga University, 1-1-1 Banba, Hikone, Shiga, 522-8522, Japan
| | - Maria Luisa Mendes Teixeira
- Mackenzie Presbyterian University, Business Administration Postgraduate Program, Consolação St, 930, São Paulo, CEP 01302-000, Brazil
| | - Napoj Thanomkul
- Faculty of Psychology, Chulalongkorn University, 254 Phayathai Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Habib Tiliouine
- Labo-PECS, Faculty of Social Sciences, Université d'Oran 2, 31000, Oran, Algeria
| | - Giovanni A Travaglino
- Department of Law and Criminology, Institute for the Study of Power, Crime, and Society, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Yannis Tsirbas
- Department of Political Science and Public Administration, University of Athens, 6 Themistokleous Street, 10678, Athens, Greece
| | - Sita Widodo
- Department of Psychology, Universitas Airlangga, Kampus B Unair Jalan Airlangga 4-6, Surabaya, 60286, Indonesia
| | - Rizqy Zein
- Department of Psychology, Universitas Airlangga, Kampus B Unair Jalan Airlangga 4-6, Surabaya, 60286, Indonesia
| | - Lina Zirganou-Kazolea
- Department of Political Science and Public Administration, University of Athens, 6 Themistokleous Street, 10678, Athens, Greece
| | - Kimmo Eriksson
- Institute for Futures Studies, Box 591, 101 31, Stockholm, Sweden
- Mälardalen University, 721 23, Västerås, Sweden
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20
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Chang KF, Lin CT, Bin YQ. Harmony with nature: Disentanglement the influence of ecological perception and adaptation on sustainable development and circular economy goals in country. Heliyon 2024; 10:e26034. [PMID: 38370265 PMCID: PMC10874742 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
From the perspective of ecosystem attributes, this research was conducted to explore the impact of people's adaptation and response to their perception of environmental risks on their preference for sustainable development strategies and the realization of a circular economy based on Social Judgment Theory and the Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) theory. To achieve the goal, three substudies were conducted using questionnaire surveys-the first substudy aimed to examine the influence of ecological attributes on environmental risk perception (ERP). The second substudy attempted to understand the intricate connection between ERP and justice, while the third study explored the relationship between justice and SDS (sustainable development strategies) and CEG (realization of a circular economy). The results indicate the following: (1) The first substudy reveals that ecological attributes impact environmental risk perception (ERP), with different environmental values exerting distinct influences. (2) The second substudy suggests that ERP facilitates the realization of social, environmental, and ecological justice, but people's preference for a specific economic growth strategy will affect their tendency to realize justice. (3) The third substudy shows that sustainability strategies (i.e., sustainable production, consumption, and use) mediate the relationship between justice and circular economy goals (CEG). Among the three strategies, sustainable use plays the most significant mediating role. The research outcomes underscore the importance of prioritizing sustainable use in future research in theory and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuei-Feng Chang
- Management College, Guangdong Polytechnic Normal University, PR China
| | - Cheng-To Lin
- International College, Renmin University of China, Beijing, PR China
| | - Ye-Qi Bin
- School of Management, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, PR China
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21
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Kay CS, Dimakis S. Moral Foundations Partially Explain the Associations of Machiavellianism, Grandiose Narcissism, and Psychopathy With Homonegativity and Transnegativity. JOURNAL OF HOMOSEXUALITY 2024; 71:775-802. [PMID: 36282082 DOI: 10.1080/00918369.2022.2132576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
People with antagonistic (or "dark") personality traits (e.g., Machiavellianism, grandiose narcissism, and psychopathy) are reportedly more racist, sexist, and xenophobic than their non-antagonistic counterparts. In the present studies (N1 = 709; N2 = 267), we examined whether people with antagonistic personality traits are also more likely to express homonegative and transnegative attitudes, and, if so, whether this can be explained by their endorsement of the moral foundations. We found that people high in Machiavellianism, grandiose narcissism, and psychopathy are more likely to endorse homonegative and transnegative views. The associations of Machiavellianism and psychopathy with homonegativity and transnegativity were primarily explained by low endorsement of individualizing moral foundations (i.e., care and fairness), while the association of narcissism with these beliefs was primarily explained by high endorsement of the binding moral foundations (i.e., loyalty, authority, and purity). These findings provide insight into the types of people who harbor homonegative and transnegative attitudes, and how differences in moral foundations contribute to these associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron S Kay
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
| | - Sarah Dimakis
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
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22
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Bocian K, Gonidis L, Everett JA. Moral conformity in a digital world: Human and nonhuman agents as a source of social pressure for judgments of moral character. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298293. [PMID: 38358977 PMCID: PMC10868870 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Could judgments about others' moral character be changed under group pressure produced by human and virtual agents? In Study 1 (N = 103), participants first judged targets' moral character privately and two weeks later in the presence of real humans. Analysis of how many times participants changed their private moral judgments under group pressure showed that moral conformity occurred, on average, 43% of the time. In Study 2 (N = 138), we extended this using Virtual Reality, where group pressure was produced either by avatars allegedly controlled by humans or AI. While replicating the effect of moral conformity (at 28% of the time), we find that the moral conformity for the human and AI-controlled avatars did not differ. Our results suggest that human and nonhuman groups shape moral character judgments in both the physical and virtual worlds, shedding new light on the potential social consequences of moral conformity in the modern digital world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konrad Bocian
- Department of Psychology in Sopot, SWPS University, Warszawa, Poland
| | - Lazaros Gonidis
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Jim A.C. Everett
- School of Psychology, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
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Kim J, Zauberman G. The relationship between political ideology and judgements of bias in distributional outcomes. Nat Hum Behav 2024; 8:228-242. [PMID: 38409287 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01779-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
We examine judgements of bias in distributional outcomes. Such judgements are often based on imbalance in distributional outcomes, namely, the under- or over-representation of a target group relative to some baseline. Using data from 26 studies (N = 14,925), we test how these judgements of bias vary with the target group's characteristics (traditionally dominant or non-dominant) and the observer's political ideology (liberal or conservative). We find that conservatives set a higher threshold for recognizing bias against traditionally non-dominant targets (women, Black people, immigrants), as compared with liberals. Conversely, liberals set a higher threshold for recognizing bias against traditionally dominant targets (men, white people, native-born citizens), as compared with conservatives. However, these relationships between political ideology and judgements of bias diminish when the targets are unknown or ideologically irrelevant. These findings emphasize the context-dependency of bias judgements and underscore the importance of stimulus sampling and appropriate selection of controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Kim
- The D'Amore-McKim School of Business, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Marketing, Yale School of Management, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Gal Zauberman
- Department of Marketing, Yale School of Management, New Haven, CT, USA.
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24
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Kitayama S, Salvador CE. Cultural Psychology: Beyond East and West. Annu Rev Psychol 2024; 75:495-526. [PMID: 37585666 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-021723-063333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Research in cultural psychology over the last three decades has revealed the profound influence of culture on cognitive, emotional, and motivational processes shaping individuals into active agents. This article aims to show cultural psychology's promise in three key steps. First, we review four notable cultural dimensions believed to underlie cultural variations: independent versus interdependent self, individualism versus collectivism, tightness versus looseness of social norms, and relational mobility. Second, we examine how ecology and geography shape human activities and give rise to organized systems of cultural practices and meanings, called eco-cultural complexes. In turn, the eco-cultural complex of each zone is instrumental in shaping a wide range of psychological processes, revealing a psychological diversity that extends beyond the scope of the current East-West literature. Finally, we examine some of the non-Western cultural zones present today, including Arab, East Asian, Latin American, and South Asian zones, and discuss how they may have contributed, to varying degrees, to the formation of the contemporary Western cultural zone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinobu Kitayama
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA;
| | - Cristina E Salvador
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA;
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25
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Pellert M, Lechner CM, Wagner C, Rammstedt B, Strohmaier M. AI Psychometrics: Assessing the Psychological Profiles of Large Language Models Through Psychometric Inventories. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2024:17456916231214460. [PMID: 38165766 DOI: 10.1177/17456916231214460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2024]
Abstract
We illustrate how standard psychometric inventories originally designed for assessing noncognitive human traits can be repurposed as diagnostic tools to evaluate analogous traits in large language models (LLMs). We start from the assumption that LLMs, inadvertently yet inevitably, acquire psychological traits (metaphorically speaking) from the vast text corpora on which they are trained. Such corpora contain sediments of the personalities, values, beliefs, and biases of the countless human authors of these texts, which LLMs learn through a complex training process. The traits that LLMs acquire in such a way can potentially influence their behavior, that is, their outputs in downstream tasks and applications in which they are employed, which in turn may have real-world consequences for individuals and social groups. By eliciting LLMs' responses to language-based psychometric inventories, we can bring their traits to light. Psychometric profiling enables researchers to study and compare LLMs in terms of noncognitive characteristics, thereby providing a window into the personalities, values, beliefs, and biases these models exhibit (or mimic). We discuss the history of similar ideas and outline possible psychometric approaches for LLMs. We demonstrate one promising approach, zero-shot classification, for several LLMs and psychometric inventories. We conclude by highlighting open challenges and future avenues of research for AI Psychometrics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Claudia Wagner
- GESIS-Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences
- Department of Society, Technology and Human Factors, RWTH Aachen University
- Complexity Science Hub Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Markus Strohmaier
- Business School, University of Mannheim
- GESIS-Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences
- Complexity Science Hub Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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26
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Baldner C, Pierro A, Talamo A, Kruglanski A. Natives with a need for cognitive closure can approve of immigrants' economic effect when they trust pro-immigrant epistemic authorities. THE JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2024; 164:76-91. [PMID: 34766528 DOI: 10.1080/00224545.2021.1988498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Previous research on the need for cognitive closure (NFC), or the desire for epistemic certainty, has consistently found that it is associated with negative attitudes toward immigrants, among other outgroups, potentially because they represent agents of change and/or due to a general preference for perceived stability and certainty associated with right-wing politics. However, as individuals with this need theoretically prefer stable and certain knowledge, independent of the specific content, it is also possible that these individuals could have positive attitudes toward immigrants when they are provided with a positive source of information to which they can metaphorically "close" upon. In two studies (n = 397), controlling for participants' political orientation, we found that individuals with an NFC were more likely to accept immigrants when their positive effect was endorsed by an epistemic authority (Study 1), but only when they trusted this source (Study 2).
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Affiliation(s)
- Conrad Baldner
- Social Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Pierro
- Social Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Arie Kruglanski
- Social Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, USA
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Simić A, Sacchi S, Perugini M. When Future Leads to a Moral Present: Future Self-Relatedness Predicts Moral Judgments and Behavior in Everyday Life. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2023:1461672231211128. [PMID: 38053500 DOI: 10.1177/01461672231211128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Future self-perceptions seem to promote far-sighted decisions in intertemporal choices. Previous work suggested that future self-relatedness, the extent to which we feel similar and connected to our future self, is associated with moral concerns. We aimed to extend these findings to everyday moral judgments and behavior using experience sampling methods. In addition, we assessed how moral foundation concerns mediate the relationship between future self-relatedness and moral behavior. Participants (N = 151) reported their state-levels of future self-relatedness, individualizing, and binding moral foundations and answered whether they performed a moral action five times a day for seven days. Within- and between-participants future self-relatedness predicted daily fluctuations in individualizing and binding moral foundations concerns. On the behavioral level, only within-participants future self-relatedness predicted individualizing moral actions with individualizing moral foundations mediating this effect. Our findings suggest that within- and between-person changes in future self-relatedness might be used to predict everyday moral concerns and behavior.
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28
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Lee AY, Lehmann C, Zhou P, Xie B, Reynolds KD, Stacy AW. A quantitative survey measure of moral evaluations of patient substance misuse among health professionals in California, urban France, and urban China. Philos Ethics Humanit Med 2023; 18:18. [PMID: 38049902 PMCID: PMC10696895 DOI: 10.1186/s13010-023-00148-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The merits and drawbacks of moral relevance models of addiction have predominantly been discussed theoretically, without empirical evidence of these potential effects. This study develops and evaluates a novel survey measure for assessing moral evaluations of patient substance misuse (ME-PSM). METHODS This measure was tested on 524 health professionals (i.e., physicians, nurses, and other health professionals) in California (n = 173), urban France (n = 102), and urban China (n = 249). Demographic factors associated with ME-PSM were investigated using analyses of variance (ANOVAs) and t-tests, with results suggesting that ME-PSM is higher among younger health professionals, nurses (when compared with physicians and other health professionals), and Chinese health professionals (when compared with French and American health professionals). RESULTS Results provide preliminary support for the psychometric quality of the survey measure introduced in this study, including the existence of a single latent structure and partial invariance of collected data across countries. CONCLUSION The survey measure for ME-PSM which was developed and tested in the current study appears to hold potential utility for use as a measure of moral views of patient substance misuse. With development, this measure may be used to examine moral evaluations, both as factors of stigma and of other clinical factors associated with the treatment of patients with substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Yu Lee
- School of Community & Global Health, Claremont Graduate University, 150 E. 10th St, Claremont, CA, 91711, USA.
| | - Curtis Lehmann
- Department of Psychology, Azusa Pacific University, 901 E. Alosta Ave., Azusa, CA, 91702, USA
| | - Pengchong Zhou
- Department of Public Health, California State University Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA, 90032, USA
| | - Bin Xie
- School of Community & Global Health, Claremont Graduate University, 150 E. 10th St, Claremont, CA, 91711, USA
| | - Kim D Reynolds
- School of Community & Global Health, Claremont Graduate University, 150 E. 10th St, Claremont, CA, 91711, USA
| | - Alan W Stacy
- School of Community & Global Health, Claremont Graduate University, 150 E. 10th St, Claremont, CA, 91711, USA
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Hopp FR, Amir O, Fisher JT, Grafton S, Sinnott-Armstrong W, Weber R. Moral foundations elicit shared and dissociable cortical activation modulated by political ideology. Nat Hum Behav 2023; 7:2182-2198. [PMID: 37679440 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01693-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Moral foundations theory (MFT) holds that moral judgements are driven by modular and ideologically variable moral foundations but where and how these foundations are represented in the brain and shaped by political beliefs remains an open question. Using a moral vignette judgement task (n = 64), we probed the neural (dis)unity of moral foundations. Univariate analyses revealed that moral judgement of moral foundations, versus conventional norms, reliably recruits core areas implicated in theory of mind. Yet, multivariate pattern analysis demonstrated that each moral foundation elicits dissociable neural representations distributed throughout the cortex. As predicted by MFT, individuals' liberal or conservative orientation modulated neural responses to moral foundations. Our results confirm that each moral foundation recruits domain-general mechanisms of social cognition but also has a dissociable neural signature malleable by sociomoral experience. We discuss these findings in view of unified versus dissociable accounts of morality and their neurological support for MFT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederic R Hopp
- Amsterdam School of Communication Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ori Amir
- Pomona College, Claremont, CA, USA
| | - Jacob T Fisher
- Department of Communication, Michigan State University, Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Scott Grafton
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | | | - René Weber
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
- Department of Communication, Media Neuroscience Lab, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
- School of Communication and Media, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea.
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30
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Tin J, Stevens H, Rasul ME, Taylor LD. Incivility in COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Discourse and Moral Foundations: Natural Language Processing Approach. JMIR Form Res 2023; 7:e50367. [PMID: 38019581 PMCID: PMC10719818 DOI: 10.2196/50367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vaccine hesitancy poses a substantial threat to efforts to mitigate the harmful effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. To combat vaccine hesitancy, officials in the United States issued vaccine mandates, which were met with strong antivaccine discourse on social media platforms such as Reddit. The politicized and polarized nature of COVID-19 on social media has fueled uncivil discourse related to vaccine mandates, which is known to decrease confidence in COVID-19 vaccines. OBJECTIVE This study examines the moral foundations underlying uncivil COVID-19 vaccine discourse. Moral foundations theory poses that individuals make decisions to express approval or disapproval (ie, uncivil discourse) based on innate moral values. We examine whether moral foundations are associated with dimensions of incivility. Further, we explore whether there are any differences in the presence of incivility between the r/coronaviruscirclejerk and r/lockdownskepticism subreddits. METHODS Natural language processing methodologies were leveraged to analyze the moral foundations underlying uncivil discourse in 2 prominent antivaccine subreddits, r/coronaviruscirclejerk and r/lockdownskepticism. All posts and comments from both of the subreddits were collected since their inception in March 2022. This was followed by filtering the data set for key terms associated with the COVID-19 vaccine (eg, "vaccinate" and "Pfizer") and mandates (eg, "forced" and "mandating"). These key terms were selected based on a review of existing literature and because of their salience in both of the subreddits. A 10% sample of the filtered key terms was used for the final analysis. RESULTS Findings suggested that moral foundations play a role in the psychological processes underlying uncivil vaccine mandate discourse. Specifically, we found substantial associations between all moral foundations (ie, care and harm, fairness and cheating, loyalty and betrayal, authority and subversion, and sanctity and degradation) and dimensions of incivility (ie, toxicity, insults, profanity, threat, and identity attack) except for the authority foundation. We also found statistically significant differences between r/coronaviruscirclejerk and r/lockdownskepticism for the presence of the dimensions of incivility. Specifically, the mean of identity attack, insult, toxicity, profanity, and threat in the r/lockdownskepticism subreddit was significantly lower than that in the r/coronaviruscirclejerk subreddit (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS This study shows that moral foundations may play a substantial role in the presence of incivility in vaccine discourse. On the basis of the findings of the study, public health practitioners should tailor messaging by addressing the moral values underlying the concerns people may have about vaccines, which could manifest as uncivil discourse. Another way to tailor public health messaging could be to direct it to parts of social media platforms with increased uncivil discourse. By integrating moral foundations, public health messaging may increase compliance and promote civil discourse surrounding COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Tin
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Hannah Stevens
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Muhammad Ehab Rasul
- Department of Communication, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Laramie D Taylor
- Department of Communication, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
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31
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Preniqi V, Kalimeri K, Saitis C. Soundscapes of morality: Linking music preferences and moral values through lyrics and audio. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0294402. [PMID: 38019770 PMCID: PMC10686442 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Music is a fundamental element in every culture, serving as a universal means of expressing our emotions, feelings, and beliefs. This work investigates the link between our moral values and musical choices through lyrics and audio analyses. We align the psychometric scores of 1,480 participants to acoustics and lyrics features obtained from the top 5 songs of their preferred music artists from Facebook Page Likes. We employ a variety of lyric text processing techniques, including lexicon-based approaches and BERT-based embeddings, to identify each song's narrative, moral valence, attitude, and emotions. In addition, we extract both low- and high-level audio features to comprehend the encoded information in participants' musical choices and improve the moral inferences. We propose a Machine Learning approach and assess the predictive power of lyrical and acoustic features separately and in a multimodal framework for predicting moral values. Results indicate that lyrics and audio features from the artists people like inform us about their morality. Though the most predictive features vary per moral value, the models that utilised a combination of lyrics and audio characteristics were the most successful in predicting moral values, outperforming the models that only used basic features such as user demographics, the popularity of the artists, and the number of likes per user. Audio features boosted the accuracy in the prediction of empathy and equality compared to textual features, while the opposite happened for hierarchy and tradition, where higher prediction scores were driven by lyrical features. This demonstrates the importance of both lyrics and audio features in capturing moral values. The insights gained from our study have a broad range of potential uses, including customising the music experience to meet individual needs, music rehabilitation, or even effective communication campaign crafting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vjosa Preniqi
- Centre for Digital Music, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Charalampos Saitis
- Centre for Digital Music, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
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32
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Waldron VR, Reutlinger C, Martin J, O'Neil E, Niess LC. "We Are All in This Together": Which Memorable Moral Messages Guided Student Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic? HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2023:1-12. [PMID: 37994460 DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2023.2286695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed lessons about the moral bases of student compliance with pandemic health messaging, which is a vital concern for educational institutions where students learn and live in close proximity. Existing theoretical and empirical work suggests that audiences may be receptive when prescribed behavior aligns with memorable moral messages (MMM) received from family members or other valued sources. We report the results of two studies that examined the nature of MMM that students found relevant in the fall of 2020 and the moral values they appeared to invoke. In the first, focus group interviews and qualitative thematic analysis were used to identify underlying moral themes. Findings indicated that students were influencegd by MMM focused on empathy/caring, those that addressed communal versus individual responsibilities, and messages that prioritized virtues that were needed (e.g., patience) during the pandemic. During this first phase of the research, we also collected a verbatim list of MMM that students reported recalling and using. To determine if quantitative evidence supported the three-part categorization scheme, a second study asked a sample of 327 students to rate the influence of the MMM reported in Study One. Exploratory factor analysis largely confirmed Study One, with consideration for others, self-determination, and communal responsibility emerging as primary moral considerations. Findings of the two studies are interpreted as partial support for moral foundations theory and consistent with the expectations of negotiated morality theory. Recommendations for health educators and experts are offered, including framing compliance guidelines in a manner consistent with MMM received from family members and helping students navigate the moral tension between self and communal interests.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Julie Martin
- Department of Communication, Arizona State University
| | - Erica O'Neil
- Department of Communication, Arizona State University
| | - Lucy C Niess
- Department of Communication, Arizona State University
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O'Marr JM, Raoul A, James EK, Winters M, Amin AB, Bednarczyk RA, Graham J, Huntsinger JR, Omer SB. Moral foundations and HPV vaccine acceptance in the United States: State, parental, and individual factors. Soc Sci Med 2023; 336:116257. [PMID: 37801941 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Appeals to intuitive morality may present a novel approach to addressing vaccine hesitancy. OBJECTIVE To better understand the relationship between morality and vaccination by employing Moral Foundations Theory to studies surrounding the HPV vaccination at multiple different levels of decision making. METHOD We employed three different study modalities which examined moralities link to vaccination by employing Moral Foundations Theory. A state-wide ecological study aimed to understand population level trends. Two randomized control interventional studies were then created to understand the effects of Moral Foundations Theory based interventions on both parents of children and individual decision makers. RESULTS We demonstrated a negative association at the state level between the purity moral foundations and HPV vaccination rates (β = -.75, SE 0.23; p < .01) and a positive association between loyalty and HPV vaccination rates (β = 0.62 SE 0.24; p < .05). The parental study built upon this by demonstrating negative association between higher moral purity scores and attitudes towards the HPV vaccine and intention to vaccinate their children (β = -0.27 SE 0.07; p < .001). Our final study demonstrated a Moral Foundations Theory based intervention was associated with an increase in the odds of indicating an intention to receive the HPV vaccination (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) 2.59, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.62-4.14). This equates to a 20% increase in the predicted probability of the intention to receive an HPV vaccine (39% CI (36%-42%) vs 60% CI (57%-63%). CONCLUSIONS Together, these studies demonstrate that moral foundations, specifically the purity foundation, appear to have a strong and consistent relationship with HPV vaccination. They also demonstrate the how moral values-based interventions may serve as a novel approach to increase HPV vaccine uptake with potential to be employed to target vaccine hesitancy more broadly.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Maike Winters
- Yale School of Medicine, United States; Yale Institute for Global Health, United States
| | - Avnika B Amin
- Rollins Schools of Public Health, Emory University, United States
| | | | | | | | - Saad B Omer
- Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, UT Southwestern, United States.
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Bonavia T, Brox-Ponce J, Rodrigo MF. Level of Effort and Economic Dishonesty: Are Expectations Relevant? EUROPES JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 19:335-347. [PMID: 38487317 PMCID: PMC10936141 DOI: 10.5964/ejop.10429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Some research has shown that expectations modulate people's economic dishonesty. These studies have allowed their participants to precisely establish the dishonest extra financial gain, without threatening their image of honesty. In this article, we show that in situations where our economic dishonesty is driven by hard-to-quantify motivators such as level of effort, it is difficult to change the categorization of (dishonest) judgments. Faced with this ambiguity, people make decisions guided by moral intuitions that are not conditioned by changing expectations. We carried out three studies (one single-group study and two experimental between-subjects studies) in which we tested whether the level of deception varies when manipulating expectations of transparency/privacy and dishonesty/honesty. Our results show that the levels of dishonesty remain low, regardless of the participants' expectations. When our decisions are motivated by more ambiguous factors, in terms of being able to justify ourselves, our economic dishonesty becomes more rigidly directed toward the dictates of our moral intuitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Bonavia
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
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35
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Wendell DG, Tatalovich R. Status politics is the origin of morality policy. Politics Life Sci 2023; 42:306-315. [PMID: 37987574 DOI: 10.1017/pls.2023.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
After drawing a distinction between "class" and "status," an early but short-lived sociological literature on status politics is reviewed. That approach has lost favor, but moral foundations theory (MFT) offers a new opportunity to link morality policy to status politics. While any of the five moral foundations (care, fairness, loyalty, authority, sanctity) can provoke conflict over status, most often sanctity is the cause of status politics because it engages the emotion of disgust. Disgust drives the behavioral immune system, which prevents us from being infected by contaminants in tainted food or by "outsiders" who are perceived to follow unconventional practices. This research note concludes by referencing 20 empirical studies in which feelings of disgust targeted certain groups or practices in society (i.e., immigrants, criminals, abortion). Thus, status politics is the origin of morality policy.
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Zhang X, Gu Y, Yin J, Zhang Y, Jin C, Wang W, Li AM, Wang Y, Su L, Xu H, Ge X, Ye C, Tang L, Shen B, Fang J, Wang D, Feng R. Development, Reliability, and Structural Validity of the Scale for Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice in Ethics Implementation Among AI Researchers: Cross-Sectional Study. JMIR Form Res 2023; 7:e42202. [PMID: 37883175 PMCID: PMC10636617 DOI: 10.2196/42202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Medical artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly contributed to decision support for disease screening, diagnosis, and management. With the growing number of medical AI developments and applications, incorporating ethics is considered essential to avoiding harm and ensuring broad benefits in the lifecycle of medical AI. One of the premises for effectively implementing ethics in Medical AI research necessitates researchers' comprehensive knowledge, enthusiastic attitude, and practical experience. However, there is currently a lack of an available instrument to measure these aspects. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to develop a comprehensive scale for measuring the knowledge, attitude, and practice of ethics implementation among medical AI researchers, and to evaluate its measurement properties. METHODS The construct of the Knowledge-Attitude-Practice in Ethics Implementation (KAP-EI) scale was based on the Knowledge-Attitude-Practice (KAP) model, and the evaluation of its measurement properties was in compliance with the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) reporting guidelines for studies on measurement instruments. The study was conducted in 2 phases. The first phase involved scale development through a systematic literature review, qualitative interviews, and item analysis based on a cross-sectional survey. The second phase involved evaluation of structural validity and reliability through another cross-sectional study. RESULTS The KAP-EI scale had 3 dimensions including knowledge (10 items), attitude (6 items), and practice (7 items). The Cronbach α for the whole scale reached .934. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the goodness-of-fit indices of the scale were satisfactory (χ2/df ratio:=2.338, comparative fit index=0.949, Tucker Lewis index=0.941, root-mean-square error of approximation=0.064, and standardized root-mean-square residual=0.052). CONCLUSIONS The results show that the scale has good reliability and structural validity; hence, it could be considered an effective instrument. This is the first instrument developed for this purpose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaobo Zhang
- Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Gu
- Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Yin
- School of Philosophy Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuejie Zhang
- School of Computer Science Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Cheng Jin
- School of Computer Science Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weibing Wang
- School of Public Health Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Albert Martin Li
- Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yingwen Wang
- Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ling Su
- Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong Xu
- Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoling Ge
- Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chengjie Ye
- Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Liangfeng Tang
- Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bing Shen
- Shanghai Hospital Development Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinwu Fang
- School of Public Health Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Daoyang Wang
- School of Public Health Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Rui Feng
- School of Computer Science Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Fino E, Daniels JK, Micheli G, Gazineo D, Godino L, Imbriaco G, Antognoli M, Sist L, Regnano D, Decaro R, Guberti M, Mazzetti M. Moral injury in a global health emergency: a validation study of the Italian version of the Moral Injury Events Scale adjusted to the healthcare setting. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2023; 14:2263316. [PMID: 37815082 PMCID: PMC10566389 DOI: 10.1080/20008066.2023.2263316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: When exposed to events that transgress one's moral beliefs, a plethora of negative consequences may follow, which are captured by the concept of moral injury (MI). Despite its relevance to experiences of healthcare workers during a global health emergency, there is lack of validated MI instruments adapted to the healthcare setting.Objective: The present study aims to provide a validation of the Italian version of the Moral Injury Events Scale (MIES) adjusted to the healthcare setting by assessing its factor structure, internal consistency and construct validity.Methods: A sample of 794 healthcare workers (46% nurses, 51% female) engaged in hospital facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy completed measures of MI, PTSD, anxiety, depression, burnout, meaning in life and positive affect.Results: Using an exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM) we assessed the scale factor structure for the entire sample and separately for nurse professional and female healthcare worker groups. Findings support a three-factor solution: Factor 1 'perceived transgressions by others'; Factor 2 'perceived transgressions by self'; and Factor 3 'perceived betrayals by others'. Findings also indicate some level of convergence with measures of PTSD, anxiety, depression and burnout.Conclusion: Results suggest that the MIES may be useful in capturing unique experiences of moral injury amongst healthcare workers engaged in a global health emergency. The low range correlations with measures of psychological distress might potentially indicate that MI, which captures cognitive value judgements rather than manifest symptomatology, may uniquely explain a certain amount of variance. Implications for the development of new empirically derived and theoretical guided tools are discussed, highlighting the need for future research to examine the role of individualising and social binding moral principles in gaining a more nuanced understanding of moral injury experiences amongst healthcare professionals across different socio-cultural settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edita Fino
- Department of Psychology “Renzo Cannestrari”, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Judith K. Daniels
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Giulia Micheli
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Domenica Gazineo
- Governo Clinico e Qualità, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Lea Godino
- Medical Genetics Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Guglielmo Imbriaco
- UO Centrale Operativa 118 Emilia Est, Ospedale ‘Maggiore’, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Luisa Sist
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences (DIBINEM), Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Domenico Regnano
- Team accessi vascolari, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Roberta Decaro
- UO Deg. Percorso fegato e vie biliari/Medicina interna trattamento gravi insufficienze d’organo/TI post-operatoria/TI trapianti, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Michela Mazzetti
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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38
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Atari M, Haidt J. Ownership is (likely to be) a moral foundation. Behav Brain Sci 2023; 46:e326. [PMID: 37813408 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x2300119x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Boyer presents a compelling account of ownership as the outcome of interaction between two evolved cognitive systems. We integrate this model into current discussions of moral pluralism, suggesting that ownership meets the criteria to be a moral foundation. We caution against ignoring cultural variation in ownership norms and against explaining complex, contested moral phenomena using a monist approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Atari
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jonathan Haidt
- Stern School of Business, New York University, New York, NY, USA
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Graham J, Atari M, Dehghani M, Haidt J. Puritanism needs purity, and moral psychology needs pluralism. Behav Brain Sci 2023; 46:e307. [PMID: 37789531 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x23000493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
This account of puritanical morality is useful and innovative, but makes two errors. First, it mischaracterizes the purity foundation as being unrelated to cooperation. Second, it makes the leap from cooperation (broadly construed) to a monist account of moral cognition (as harm or fairness). We show how this leap is both conceptually incoherent and inconsistent with empirical evidence about self-control moralization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse Graham
- Department of Management, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Mohammad Atari
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA,
| | - Morteza Dehghani
- Departments of Psychology and Computer Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA,
| | - Jonathan Haidt
- Business and Society Program, New York University, New York, NY,
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40
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Carron R, Blanc N, Anders R, Brigaud E. The Oxford Utilitarianism Scale: Psychometric properties of a French adaptation (OUS-Fr). Behav Res Methods 2023:10.3758/s13428-023-02250-x. [PMID: 37794207 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-023-02250-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
It is well established that one's sense of morality may be readily influenced by one's culture, education, and life situation. Very few psychometric tools are currently available to measure facets of human morality in different cultures. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to develop a French adaptation of the Oxford Utilitarianism Scale (OUS-Fr) and formally evaluate its validity. The OUS-Fr was developed through a process of back-translation and administered to a sample of 552 participants. Results from exploratory factor analyses revealed a bidimensional structure with satisfactory loadings that was then also supported in the confirmatory factor analysis check. The OUS-Fr scale demonstrated good psychometric properties, with acceptable internal consistency and coherent results in the convergent validity analyses. These findings contribute to morality measurement literature by providing evidence for the reliability and validity of the French adaptation of the OUS. The OUS-Fr can be viewed as a valuable tool for researchers and practitioners for assessing utilitarian tendencies within the French-speaking population, which could pave the way for cross-cultural understandings that are important for fully understanding the intricacies of human morality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Carron
- Department of Psychology, EPSYLON Laboratory UR4556, University Paul Valéry, Montpellier 3, F34000, Montpellier, France
| | - Nathalie Blanc
- Department of Psychology, EPSYLON Laboratory UR4556, University Paul Valéry, Montpellier 3, F34000, Montpellier, France
| | - Royce Anders
- Department of Psychology, EPSYLON Laboratory UR4556, University Paul Valéry, Montpellier 3, F34000, Montpellier, France
| | - Emmanuelle Brigaud
- Department of Psychology, EPSYLON Laboratory UR4556, University Paul Valéry, Montpellier 3, F34000, Montpellier, France.
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41
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Erku D, Yigzaw N, Tegegn HG, Gartner CE, Scuffham PA, Garedew YT, Shambel E. Framing, moral foundations and health taxes: interpretive analysis of Ethiopia's tobacco excise tax policy passage. BMJ Glob Health 2023; 8:e012058. [PMID: 37813449 PMCID: PMC10565163 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2023-012058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In 2019-2020, the Ethiopian government ratified a suite of legislative measures that includes levying a tax on tobacco products. This study aims to examine stakeholders' involvement, position, power and perception regarding the Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority (EFDA) bill (Proclamation No.1112/2019). This includes their meaning-making and interaction with each other during the bill's formulation, adoption and implementation stages. METHODS We employed a mixed-methods design drawing on three sources of data: (1) policy documents and media articles from government and/or civil society groups (n=27), (2) audio and video transcripts of parliamentary debates and (3) qualitative stakeholder interviews. RESULTS Policy actors in both the public health camp and tobacco industry employed several framing moves, engaged in distinctive patterns of moral rhetoric, and strategically invoked moral languages to galvanise support for their policy objectives. Central to this framing debate are issues of public health and the danger of tobacco, and the protection of 'the economy and personal freedom'. The public health camp's arguments and persuasiveness-which led to the passage of the EFDA bill-centred around discrediting tobacco industry's cost-benefit assessments through frame disconnection, or by polarising their own position that the financial, psychological and lost productivity costs incurred by tobacco use outweighs any tax revenue. CONCLUSIONS A successful cultivation of an epistemic community and engagement of policy entrepreneurs-both from government agencies and civil society organisations-was critical in creating a united front and a compelling affirmative policy narrative, thereby influence excise tax policy outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Erku
- Centre for Applied Health Economics, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia
- Menzies Health Research Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Nigusse Yigzaw
- Institute of Public Health, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Henok Getachew Tegegn
- Centre for Applied Health Economics, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia
- School of Rural Medicine, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Coral E Gartner
- School of Public Health, University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - Paul A Scuffham
- Centre for Applied Health Economics, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia
- Menzies Health Research Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Yordanos Tegene Garedew
- Health Policy and Systems Research, EPIC Research and Training Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Ehetemariam Shambel
- Pharmaceutical and Medical Equipment Directorate, Federal Ministry of Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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42
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Paruzel-Czachura M, Pypno K, Sorokowski P. Alcohol and morality: one alcoholic drink is enough to make people declare to harm others and behave impurely. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:2163-2172. [PMID: 37555928 PMCID: PMC10506948 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06438-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
We aimed to understand if alcohol intoxication affects the willingness to violate moral foundations (care, fairness, authority, loyalty, and purity). We conducted a laboratory study (N = 387) with three randomized groups: alcohol intoxication, placebo, and control, measuring the sacralization of moral foundations via the Moral Foundations Sacredness Scale. The study showed intoxicated participants sacralized moral foundations of care and purity more often than participants from control and placebo groups. It means participants declared more willing to physically harm other people and animals and behave impurely, e.g., doing deviant sexual behaviors or selling their souls. No differences related to fairness, authority, and loyalty were found. Our study helps to understand the decision processes underlying immoral behaviors, including crimes. We showed that even one drink makes people change their judgments about what is right and wrong (in the cases of harmful and impure behaviors), and because this kind of judgment precedes immoral behaviors, our results may help explain why some people under the influence of alcohol break the rules by doing things which they would never do when sober.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariola Paruzel-Czachura
- Institute of Psychology, University of Silesia in Katowice, Grazynskiego 53, 40-126, Katowice, Poland.
- Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics, University of Pennsylvania, Goddard Laboratories, 3710 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Penn Brain Science Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Katarzyna Pypno
- Institute of Psychology, University of Silesia in Katowice, Grazynskiego 53, 40-126, Katowice, Poland
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43
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Wang X. Putting Emotions in the Health Belief Model: The Role of Hope and Anticipated Guilt on the Chinese's Intentions to Get COVID-19 Vaccination. HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2023; 38:2491-2500. [PMID: 35658753 DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2022.2078925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
When promoting COVID-19 vaccination, the media and public figures often mention hope to return to normalcy and sometimes try to elicit guilt by asking people to get vaccinated to protect themselves and others. Situated within the health belief model, the present research aimed to investigate whether hope and anticipated guilt were related to vaccine uptake intent. It postulated that hope and anticipated guilt mediated the relationships between risk perceptions/perceived benefits and vaccine uptake intent. The data were collected via an online survey of 460 Chinese participants in March 2021 and were analyzed using Hayes' PROCESS MACRO. The results revealed that perceived susceptibility and perceived benefits, but not perceived severity, predicted the Chinese's vaccine uptake intent. Furthermore, hope positively predicted vaccine uptake intent and partially mediated the relationship between perceived benefits and vaccination intent and between perceived severity and vaccination intent. Anticipated guilt was a significant, but weak predictor of vaccination intent. Both theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Wang
- School of Communication, Rochester Institute of Technology
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44
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Leach S, Kitchin AP, Sutton RM. Word embeddings reveal growing moral concern for people, animals and the environment. BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 62:1925-1938. [PMID: 37403899 DOI: 10.1111/bjso.12663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
The Enlightenment idea of historical moral progress asserts that civil societies become more moral over time. This is often understood as an expanding moral circle and is argued to be tightly linked with language use, with some suggesting that shifts in how we express concern for others can be considered an important indicator of moral progress. Our research explores these notions by examining historical trends in natural language use during the 19th and 20th centuries. We found that the associations between words denoting moral concern and words referring to people, animals, and the environment grew stronger over time. The findings support widely-held views about the nature of moral progress by showing that language has changed in a way that reflects greater concern for others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Leach
- School of Psychology, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
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45
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Jayashankar A, Aziz-Zadeh L. Disgust Processing and Potential Relationships with Behaviors in Autism. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2023; 25:465-478. [PMID: 37672122 PMCID: PMC10627949 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-023-01445-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW While there are reports of differences in emotion processing in autism, it is less understood whether the emotion of disgust, in particular, plays a significant role in these effects. Here, we review literature on potential disgust processing differences in autism and its possible associations with autistic traits. RECENT FINDINGS In autism, there is evidence for differences in physical disgust processing, pica behaviors, attention away from other's disgust facial expressions, and differences in neural activity related to disgust processing. In typically developing individuals, disgust processing is related to moral processing, but modulated by individual differences in interoception and alexithymia. Autistic individuals may experience atypical disgust, which may lead to difficulty avoiding contaminants and affect socio-emotional processing. In autism, such outcomes may lead to increased occurrences of illness, contribute to gastrointestinal issues, diminish vicarious learning of disgust expression and behaviors, and potentially contribute to differences in processes related to moral reasoning, though further research is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya Jayashankar
- USC Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
- Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
| | - Lisa Aziz-Zadeh
- USC Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
- Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
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46
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Rottman J, Foster-Hanson E, Bellersen S. One strike and you're a lout: Cherished values increase the stringency of moral character attributions. Cognition 2023; 239:105570. [PMID: 37536142 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2023.105570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Moral dilemmas are inescapable in daily life, and people must often choose between two desirable character traits, like being a diligent employee or being a devoted parent. These moral dilemmas arise because people hold competing moral values that sometimes conflict. Furthermore, people differ in which values they prioritize, so we do not always approve of how others resolve moral dilemmas. How are we to think of people who sacrifice one of our most cherished moral values for a value that we consider less important? The "Good True Self Hypothesis" predicts that we will reliably project our most strongly held moral values onto others, even after these people lapse. In other words, people who highly value generosity should consistently expect others to be generous, even after they act frugally in a particular instance. However, reasoning from an error-management perspective instead suggests the "Moral Stringency Hypothesis," which predicts that we should be especially prone to discredit the moral character of people who deviate from our most deeply cherished moral ideals, given the potential costs of affiliating with people who do not reliably adhere to our core moral values. In other words, people who most highly value generosity should be quickest to stop considering others to be generous if they act frugally in a particular instance. Across two studies conducted on Prolific (N = 966), we found consistent evidence that people weight moral lapses more heavily when rating others' membership in highly cherished moral categories, supporting the Moral Stringency Hypothesis. In Study 2, we examined a possible mechanism underlying this phenomenon. Although perceptions of hypocrisy played a role in moral updating, personal moral values and subsequent judgments of a person's potential as a good cooperative partner provided the clearest explanation for changes in moral character attributions. Overall, the robust tendency toward moral stringency carries significant practical and theoretical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Rottman
- Department of Psychology, Franklin and Marshall College, United States of America.
| | | | - Sam Bellersen
- Department of Philosophy, Franklin and Marshall College, United States of America
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Winters M, Christie S, Lepage C, Malik AA, Bokemper S, Abeyesekera S, Boye B, Moini M, Jamil Z, Tariq T, Beresh T, Kazymyrova G, Palamar L, Paintsil E, Faller A, Seusan A, Bonnevie E, Smyser J, Khan K, Gulaid M, Francis S, Warren JL, Thomson A, Omer SB. Persuasive COVID-19 vaccination campaigns on Facebook and nationwide vaccination coverage in Ukraine, India, and Pakistan. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 3:e0002357. [PMID: 37756298 PMCID: PMC10529538 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Social media platforms have a wide and influential reach, and as such provide an opportunity to increase vaccine uptake. To date, there is no large-scale, robust evidence on the offline effects of online messaging campaigns. We aimed to test whether pre-tested, persuasive messaging campaigns from UNICEF, disseminated on Facebook, influenced COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Ukraine, India, and Pakistan. In Ukraine, we deployed a stepped-wedge randomized controlled trial (RCT). Half of the 24 oblasts (provinces) received five weeks of the intervention, the other half ten weeks of the intervention. In India, an RCT with an augmented synthetic control was conducted in five states (Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan), whereby 40 out of 174 districts were randomized to receive six weeks of intervention. In Pakistan we deployed a pre-post design, whereby 25 city districts received six weeks of the intervention. Weekly COVID-19 vaccination data was sourced through government databases. Using Poisson regression models, the association between the intervention and vaccine uptake was estimated. In Ukraine we conducted a survey among Facebook users at three time points during the RCT, to ascertain vaccination intentions and trust in vaccines. The campaigns reached more than 110 million Facebook users and garnered 2.9 million clicks. In Ukraine, we found that the intervention did not affect oblast-level vaccination coverage (Relative Risk (RR): 0.93, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.86-1.01). Similarly, in India and Pakistan we found no effect of our intervention (India: RR 0.85, 95% CI 0.70-1.04; Pakistan: RR 0.64, 95% CI 0.01-29.9). The survey among Facebook users in Ukraine showed that trust in vaccines and information sources was an important predictor of vaccination status and intention to get vaccinated. Our campaigns on Facebook had a wide reach, which did not translate in shifting behaviours. Timing and external events may have limited the effectiveness of our interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maike Winters
- Yale Institute for Global Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Sarah Christie
- Yale Institute for Global Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | | | - Amyn A. Malik
- Yale Institute for Global Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Scott Bokemper
- Institution for Social and Policy Studies, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Center for the Study of American Politics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | | | - Brian Boye
- UNICEF Country Office India, New Delhi, India
| | | | - Zara Jamil
- UNICEF Country Office, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Taha Tariq
- UNICEF Country Office, Karachi, Pakistan
| | | | | | | | - Elliott Paintsil
- Yale Institute for Global Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Alexandra Faller
- The Public Good Projects, Alexandria, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Andreea Seusan
- The Public Good Projects, Alexandria, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Erika Bonnevie
- The Public Good Projects, Alexandria, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Joe Smyser
- The Public Good Projects, Alexandria, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Kadeem Khan
- Meta Platforms Inc., Menlo Park, California, United States of America
| | - Mohamed Gulaid
- Meta Platforms Inc., Menlo Park, California, United States of America
| | - Sarah Francis
- Team Upswell, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Joshua L. Warren
- Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
| | | | - Saad B. Omer
- Yale Institute for Global Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
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Abstract
All psychological research on morality relies on definitions of morality. Yet the various definitions often go unstated. When unstated definitions diverge, theoretical disagreements become intractable, as theories that purport to explain "morality" actually talk about very different things. This article argues for the importance of defining morality and considers four common ways of doing so: The linguistic, the functionalist, the evaluating, and the normative. Each has encountered difficulties. To surmount those difficulties, I propose a technical, psychological, empirical, and distinctive definition of morality: obligatory concerns with others' welfare, rights, fairness, and justice, as well as the reasoning, judgment, emotions, and actions that spring from those concerns. By articulating workable definitions of morality, psychologists can communicate more clearly across paradigms, separate definitional from empirical disagreements, and jointly advance the field of moral psychology.
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49
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Reynolds CJ, Stokes E, Jayawickreme E, Furr RM. Truthfulness Predominates in Americans' Conceptualizations of Honesty: A Prototype Analysis. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2023:1461672231195355. [PMID: 37688504 DOI: 10.1177/01461672231195355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
Honesty is a near universally valued trait. However, the term honesty captures a litany of traits and behaviors, obscuring research on social perceptions and trait measurement of honesty and creating philosophical difficulties in accounting for what (if anything) unifies this diversity. We applied a prototype analysis approach to identify the most central elements of lay honesty conceptualizations, identifying elements that come to mind and are explicitly acknowledged as important to honesty. In five studies (N = 1,442), U.S. American participants generated 6,000+ free responses characterizing honesty and indicated which subtraits and behaviors best represent honesty. Truthfulness was most central to lay honesty conceptualizations across all studies and several centrality indices (frequency among responses and participants, agreement across participants, priority in lists, explicit ratings), though several other features were prominent. Findings illuminate social perceptions of honesty, critique popular measurement of trait honesty, and offer empirical foundations for philosophical analysis of honesty.
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50
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Nejat P, Heirani-Tabas A, Nazarpour MM. Moral foundations are better predictors of belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories than the Big Five personality traits. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1201695. [PMID: 37691810 PMCID: PMC10484408 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1201695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Upon the sudden outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, various conspiracy theories regarding the virus proliferated in the social media. This study focused on the sociodemographic, personality, and moral predictors of these beliefs. More specifically, we asked whether moral values predict belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories over and above sociodemographic variables and the Big Five personality traits. According to Moral Foundations Theory, five cross-cultural moral foundations are more broadly categorized under individualizing (Care & Fairness) and binding (Loyalty, Authority, & Sanctity) foundations. A sixth moral foundation was Liberty which we included along with binding and individualizing foundations. Participants were 227 Iranians (mean age = 31.43, SD = 12.61, 75.3% female) who responded to Moral Foundations Questionnaire and Liberty items, a range of COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs, and the 10-Item Personality Measure of the Big Five. Among demographic variables, religiosity and socioeconomic status were the strongest determinants of conspiracy beliefs regarding the origin of Coronavirus. Among the Big Five, only extraversion predicted these beliefs in a positive direction. Moral foundations, most notably Authority and Sanctity, showed incremental predictive power over both demographic variables and the Big Five personality traits. Findings are discussed in light of the role of social media in dissemination of conspiracy beliefs regarding the pandemic. They point to the more relevance of moral foundations, particularly binding foundations, than the Big Five in the context of pandemic-related conspiracy beliefs, and add to the literature on the unique contribution of moral foundations to socio-political attitudes across cultures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pegah Nejat
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
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