Perceived Shared Condemnation Intensifies Punitive Moral Emotions
Abstract Punishment facilitates large-scale cooperation among humans, but how punishers, who incur an extra cost of punishment, can successfully compete with non-punishers, who free-ride on the punisher’s policing, poses an evolutionary puzzle. One answer is by coordinating punishment to minimise it...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2017-08-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-07916-z |
| _version_ | 1819036342012608512 |
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| author | Naoki Konishi Tomoko Oe Hiroshi Shimizu Kanako Tanaka Yohsuke Ohtsubo |
| author_facet | Naoki Konishi Tomoko Oe Hiroshi Shimizu Kanako Tanaka Yohsuke Ohtsubo |
| author_sort | Naoki Konishi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Punishment facilitates large-scale cooperation among humans, but how punishers, who incur an extra cost of punishment, can successfully compete with non-punishers, who free-ride on the punisher’s policing, poses an evolutionary puzzle. One answer is by coordinating punishment to minimise its cost. Notice, however, that in order to effectively coordinate their punishment, potential punishers must know in advance whether others would also be willing to punish a particular norm violator. Such knowledge might hinder coordination by tempting potential punishers to free-ride on other punishers. Previous research suggests that moral emotions, such as moral outrage and moral disgust, serve as a commitment device and drive people to carry out the costly act of punishment. Accordingly, we tested whether the perception of socially shared condemnation (i.e., knowledge that others also condemn a particular violator) would amplify moral outrage and moral disgust, and diminish empathy for the violator. Study 1 (scenario-based study) revealed that perceived shared condemnation was correlated positively with moral outrage and moral disgust, and negatively with empathy. Study 2 experimentally demonstrated that information indicating that others also condemn a particular norm violation amplified moral outrage. Lastly, Study 3 (autobiographical recall study) confirmed the external validity of the finding. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T08:03:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-de3eab4d5eea400bb87f9f3fa0ef0b4d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T08:03:59Z |
| publishDate | 2017-08-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-de3eab4d5eea400bb87f9f3fa0ef0b4d2022-12-21T19:10:51ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222017-08-01711910.1038/s41598-017-07916-zPerceived Shared Condemnation Intensifies Punitive Moral EmotionsNaoki Konishi0Tomoko Oe1Hiroshi Shimizu2Kanako Tanaka3Yohsuke Ohtsubo4Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Humanities, Kobe UniversityDepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Teikyo UniversitySchool of Sociology, Kwansei Gakuin UniversityDepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Letters, Kobe UniversityDepartment of Psychology, Graduate School of Humanities, Kobe UniversityAbstract Punishment facilitates large-scale cooperation among humans, but how punishers, who incur an extra cost of punishment, can successfully compete with non-punishers, who free-ride on the punisher’s policing, poses an evolutionary puzzle. One answer is by coordinating punishment to minimise its cost. Notice, however, that in order to effectively coordinate their punishment, potential punishers must know in advance whether others would also be willing to punish a particular norm violator. Such knowledge might hinder coordination by tempting potential punishers to free-ride on other punishers. Previous research suggests that moral emotions, such as moral outrage and moral disgust, serve as a commitment device and drive people to carry out the costly act of punishment. Accordingly, we tested whether the perception of socially shared condemnation (i.e., knowledge that others also condemn a particular violator) would amplify moral outrage and moral disgust, and diminish empathy for the violator. Study 1 (scenario-based study) revealed that perceived shared condemnation was correlated positively with moral outrage and moral disgust, and negatively with empathy. Study 2 experimentally demonstrated that information indicating that others also condemn a particular norm violation amplified moral outrage. Lastly, Study 3 (autobiographical recall study) confirmed the external validity of the finding.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-07916-z |
| spellingShingle | Naoki Konishi Tomoko Oe Hiroshi Shimizu Kanako Tanaka Yohsuke Ohtsubo Perceived Shared Condemnation Intensifies Punitive Moral Emotions Scientific Reports |
| title | Perceived Shared Condemnation Intensifies Punitive Moral Emotions |
| title_full | Perceived Shared Condemnation Intensifies Punitive Moral Emotions |
| title_fullStr | Perceived Shared Condemnation Intensifies Punitive Moral Emotions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Perceived Shared Condemnation Intensifies Punitive Moral Emotions |
| title_short | Perceived Shared Condemnation Intensifies Punitive Moral Emotions |
| title_sort | perceived shared condemnation intensifies punitive moral emotions |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-07916-z |
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