Moral Might vs Fight or Flight: Exploring the Link between Moral Intuitions, Fear Responses, and Deviance

• In Event: Advancing Social Learning Theory: Beliefs, Norms and Morality as Causes of Crime

Abstract

Within the study of criminology, there are existing avenues of research that examine: (1) the impact of fear and fear responses on behavior and (2) the influence of moral intuitions on behavior. The current study combines these two perspectives by exploring the impact of moral intuitions (as conceptualized by Moral Foundations Theory) on the decision-making process and decision outcomes in scenarios involving deviant behavior. Here, we align outcomes with the four fear responses (i.e., fight, flight, freeze, and fawn) to study the impact of moral intuitions on the decision navigation in real time. Preliminary findings suggest that there is a link between moral intuitions and fear responses.

Authors

• Emily Martinez, Kennesaw State University

• Chrystal Alexander, Kennesaw State University

• Lisa M. Thompson Lee, Kennesaw State University