How The Good Place illustrates an unorthodox theory in moral psychology
keywords:
morality / concepts / reasoning / moral judgment
How The Good Place illustrates an unorthodox theory in moral psychology
On The Good Place, people are judged on the morality of virtually everything they do. This might seem unfair, but what really counts as moral and non-moral? Evidence from psychology suggests that there may be no clear distinction between moral and non-moral cases. 
If you’re like most people, you probably don’t consider buying a tomato to be a moral decision. Which is why it was so startling, near the... / more
Hot or cold morality? (Part 1)
keywords:
morality / emotion / Trolley problem / social-regulation
Hot or cold morality? (Part 1)
How do we make moral judgments? Are people cold, calculating Vulcans? Or are they affectively hot hedonists? Researchers often present morality as a war between vying ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ processes, but in this two-part blog post I argue that the distinction is a false choice. Morality is both hot and cold, but not in the way previous research leads people to believe. / more
How stress influences our morality
How stress influences our morality
All of us are stressed every now and then. There are phenomena we usually associate with stress, like health risks and feelings like fear, panic, or insecurity. But stress might also have effects we normally don’t think of; recent studies suggest it can dramatically influence our decision-making in a number of—perhaps unexpected—ways. This becomes particularly relevant in the moral context: people who are put under stress behave more compassionately in some situations, yet the opposite can be...
/ moreBlame. What is it good for?
keywords:
morality / blame / motivation / warrant / conflict
Blame. What is it good for?
Is blame for retribution and revenge? Or is blame for managing others’ behavior? I argue that while the former answer is dominant in social psychology, it predicts a dysfunctional system of blame that explains only a small portion of why people blame. Instead, I suggest that blame is better understood as a tool for changing the way people behave. / more
Free will without metaphysics
keywords:
free will / folk concepts / morality / choice / blame
Free will without metaphysics
Despite the resurgence of interest in free will, there remains confusion and disagreement regarding free will’s role in social life, in particular, how people understand free will and whether free will guides blame and praise for others. In this blog post I argue that we need to pay closer attention to the folk concept of free will in order to resolve the confusion surrounding free will in everyday life. / more
Being rational and emotional are not (necessarily) contradictions
keywords:
voting / rationality / emotions / morality / political psychology
Being rational and emotional are not (necessarily) contradictions
In the first part of this three part series, my colleague Ellie Shockley described how rational thinking may drive political attitudes and voting behavior. In the second part of the series, Matt Moytl described how emotion may drive political attitudes and voting behavior. In the final part of this series, I discuss how emotions and reasons are not necessarily in conflict. / more
Same Same? Moral Development across Continents
keywords:
Buddhsim / development / morality / norms / Singapore
Same Same? Moral Development across Continents
My first extended stay in Southeast Asia in Singapore nearly five years ago served as a true eye opener. Yes, I was fully aware that I was about to enter a country that was different from what I had known so far. I was eager and curious to learn and broaden my horizons to whatever might come. However, the first days were rather disappointing: nothing much different from what I knew. Sometimes it was hard to comprehend 'Singlish' (as Singaporean... / more
Fairness Judgments: Genuine Morality or Disguised Egocentrism?
keywords:
distributive justice / egocentrism / fairness / morality
Fairness Judgments: Genuine Morality or Disguised Egocentrism?
When people think about fairness, they often think about social norms and values, or about general moral principles such as equality between humans and impartiality when solving conflicts. Fairness is thus often associated with a genuine concern for other people's well-being. In a variety of scientific disciplines, fairness is even equated with altruism and contrasted with egoism (e.g., De Waal, 1996; Sober & Wilson, 1998). / more
Complementing Individualism with The Social Identity Approach
keywords:
convictions / morality / outrage / social identity
Complementing Individualism with The Social Identity Approach
Have you ever thought about where your strong moral convictions (if any) come from? For example, let`s assume you feel strongly about the sacredness of the Qur’an, and feel outraged when someone mocks your Holy Book. Or, alternatively, you feel strongly about freedom of speech, and hence feel outraged when those mocking a holy book are threatened and attacked by those who perceive this as a transgression of their sacred values. Is it, in these cases, a strictly personal part of who you are that reacts so strongly, or is your conviction perhaps derived from important groups you are a member of? / more
Honor and Emotion
keywords:
culture / emotion / family honor / morality
Honor and Emotion
This paper discusses honor and its effects on emotion. The paper is divided into two parts. In the first part, the definition of honor is discussed. This section answers the questions ‘what is honor,’ and ‘are there different types of honor?’ Later, there is an overview on the ways in which honor influences emotional experiences and expressions. Throughout the paper, conclusions are reached based on honor and emotion research in Mediterranean, Northern European, North American and Middle-Eastern cultures. Imagine as... / more