Are agnostics associated with immorality to the same degree as atheists?

Abstract

Past research has demonstrated a pervasive stereotype that links atheists with immorality, but what about agnostics? Using a conjunction fallacy paradigm, the present studies assessed how individuals intuitively associated moral and immoral behavior with agnostics, atheists, and Christians. In Study 1, participants read vignettes about a person engaging in immoral behavior with varying degrees of immorality and then judged the group membership of that individual. In Study 2, participants instead assessed moral deeds. Study 1's results indicated that individuals attributed immoral behavior equally to agnostics as atheists and attributed immoral behavior to both groups more than Christians. Study 2's results mirrored Study 1: Individuals attributed moral behavior equally to atheists as agnostics but attributed moral behavior to both groups less than Christians. These findings suggest that perceptions of immorality likely have similar downstream negative consequences for agnostics as atheists.