Morality and Stigmatization: The Role of Binding and Individualizing Moral Intuitions

• In Event: The Role of Psychosocial Factors in the Development of Criminal and Delinquent Behavior

Abstract

Research on the association between morality and stigma has yet to take full advantage of the explosion of research that has occurred in the field of moral psychology. To help fill this gap, we examine the relationship between moral intuitions and stigmatization using data on 1,238 college students. We find that, across 14 deviance scenarios, binding moral intuitions (i.e., those that emphasize the group or society as the center of moral concern) are associated with a greater tendency to avoid and punish deviants, while individualizing moral intuitions (i.e., those that emphasize the individual as the center of moral concern) are associated with a greater tendency to avoid but not punish deviants. Results also show that moral intuitions mediate part of the association with stigmatization for gender, political orientation, and religiosity. Examination of more fine-grained moral intuition categories (i.e., Care/Harm, Fairness/Cheating, Loyalty/Betrayal, Authority/Subversion, and Sanctity/Degradation) shows that the intensity of stigmatization depends on which moral intuitions are violated. Implications for future research on morality and stigmatization are discussed.

Authors

• Ryan William Richmond, Pennsylvania State University, University Park

• Eric Silver, Pennsylvania State University