Moral Psychology

A recent study found a strong association between specific “Dark Triad” traits and moral leniency. College students scoring higher in psychopathy or Machiavellianism were more open to excusing dishonest, rule-breaking, and controversial behaviors.

Artificial intelligence models like ChatGPT struggle to accurately understand global values, a new study suggests. Researchers found that these systems overestimate the morality of Western nations while underestimating non-Western cultures, essentially adopting human-like cultural stereotypes.

Hostile political debate might have less to do with deep ideological divides and more to do with social status. A new study finds that young men frequently use moral outrage as a competitive tool to shame opponents.

Do manipulative people truly lack a moral compass? New research suggests otherwise. While antagonistic individuals judge immoral peers less harshly, they still find them physically unattractive, indicating their leniency is actually a psychological defense mechanism.

A new study reveals a widespread "failure gap," where people systematically underestimate how often bad outcomes happen. This bias is linked to how rarely failures are discussed in the news and on social media.

A new study in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin suggests liberals and conservatives share a common moral foundation of preventing harm. Deep political divides emerge because the two sides see different people as vulnerable victims.

New research reveals a fascinating hierarchy in human judgment: we see ourselves as exceptionally moral and give individual strangers the benefit of the doubt, yet we view society and groups as falling short.

When people feel physically closer to someone who could be harmed, they are less willing to sacrifice that person for the greater good, according to a new finding reported in Cognition & Emotion.

New research published in the Journal of Personality analyzes over 43,000 daily moments to determine how virtues like compassion impact individual well-being. The findings suggest these traits benefit the practitioner, not just the recipient.

Research shows that highlighting female victims elicits as much outrage as highlighting children. However, this protective instinct disappears when women step outside traditional gender roles, such as serving as soldiers.

A recent study indicates that political leanings are shaped by internal moral trade-offs. The findings suggest that conservatives tend to prioritize binding values like loyalty over individualizing values like care.

Research on inmates and jihadists links spiritual formidability to extreme sacrifice through a sense of group entitlement.

New findings suggest the connection between family environment and moral development may vary based on individual temperament.

A new study finds that the presence of a person dressed as Batman on the subway significantly increased passengers' willingness to give up their seats to a pregnant woman.