Moral Psychology

A study found consensus on traits like empathy, moral identity, and attentiveness defining morally exceptional individuals, though perceptions varied by political beliefs, with conservatives emphasizing authority and religiosity, and liberals prioritizing empathy, fairness, and harm reduction.

According to a new study, people who have taken the Giving What We Can (GWWC) pledge to donate at least 10% of their income to charity display distinct cognitive and personality traits.

Researchers found that perceptions of moral character are highly subjective, with significant differences between self-perceptions and others' views, largely influenced by individual biases.

New research shows that dispositional self-efficacy increases the likelihood of intervening in everyday moral violations, while moral disengagement decreases it. Emotions like anger motivate intervention, whereas fear inhibits it, highlighting key factors in moral courage.

New research has found that individuals with traits like narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism often believe they are morally superior to others, despite engaging in immoral behavior.

Psychopathic individuals with high impulsivity tend to make harm-averse, deontological choices in high-emotion scenarios, according to a new study.

Training in compassion through Compassion Focused Therapy significantly expanded participants' moral circles, increasing concern for a wider range of beings, including family, strangers, animals, and the environment, with effects growing stronger over a three-month period.

Older adults judge harmful intentions more harshly and accidental harm more leniently than younger adults, highlighting age-related differences in moral sensitivity and emotional reactions to sociomoral violations.

Research suggests that people may expect to behave more unethically when they perceive higher economic inequality, potentially decreasing societal trust and cooperation.

Moral shame, driven by democratic values, is a significant predictor of antiwar actions in Russia, whereas guilt and image shame are less influential, according to new psychology research.

A study found that people prefer AI-generated responses to moral dilemmas over human ones, viewing them as more virtuous and trustworthy, raising concerns about uncritical acceptance of AI advice.

Research reveals that U.S. states with higher religiosity and stricter cultural norms exhibit lower rates of cheating in the online game Wordle.

New research shows that moral judgments about sexual assault on AI-powered sex robots are shaped by the robots' perceived mental capacities, their roles in relationships, and the nature of their interactions with humans.

A series of studies in the Journal of Personality found that greedy people briefly feel proud when they acquire something new, but this feeling fades quickly, leading them to keep wanting more.

A recent study published in PNAS reveals that the behavior and personality traits of various versions of ChatGPT are not only indistinguishable from human responses statistically but also show heightened levels of altruism and cooperation.