Reexamining the role of intent in moral judgements of purity violations

Tools

Kupfer, T.R. ORCID: 0000-0003-1147-6082, Inbar, Y. and Tybur, J.M., 2020. Reexamining the role of intent in moral judgements of purity violations. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 91: 104043. ISSN 0022-1031

Preview

Text
1523934_Kupfer.pdf - Published version
Download (527kB) | Preview

Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2020.104043

Abstract

Perceived intent is a pivotal factor in moral judgement: intentional moral violations are considered more morally wrong than accidental ones. However, a body of recent research argues that intent is less important for moral judgements of impure acts-that it, those acts that are condemned because they elicit disgust. But the literature supporting this claim is limited in multiple ways. We conducted a new test of the hypothesis that condemnation of purity violations operates independently from intent. In Study 1, participants judged the wrongness of moral violations that were either intentional or unintentional and were either harmful (e.g., stealing) or impure (e.g., public defecation). Results revealed a large effect of intent on moral wrongness ratings that did not vary across harmful and disgusting scenarios. In Study 2, a registered report, participants judged the wrongness of disgust-eliciting moral violations that were either mundane and dyadic (e.g., serving contaminated food) or abnormal and self-directed (e.g., consuming urine). Results revealed a large effect of intent on moral wrongness judgements that did not vary across mundane and abnormal scenarios. Findings challenge the claim that moral judgements about purity violations rely upon unique psychological mechanisms that are insensitive to information about the wrongdoer's mental state.

Item Type:

Journal article

Publication Title:

Journal of Experimental Social Psychology

Creators:

Kupfer, T.R., Inbar, Y. and Tybur, J.M.

Publisher:

Elsevier BV

Date:

November 2020

Volume:

ISSN: