Do High Psychopaths Care More about Moral Consequences than Low Psychopaths in Chinese Culture? An Exploration Using the CNI Model

Abstract

Purpose: Fewer studies are about the influence of psychopath traits on moral judgment and the underlying psychological mechanism in Chinese cultural background. In this paper, we use the creative CNI (Consequences, Norms, Inaction versus action) model to quantify the subject’s reaction to moral dilemmas. Method: In this research, the Chinese version of the Levenson Psychopathic Scale, CNI model materials, and a multinomial model to further analyze the associations among the psychopathy characteristics and utilitarian moral judgment are applied. The CNI model is proposed by Gawronski et al., which can quantify the subjects’ sensitivity to moral consequence, sensitivity to moral norms, and the general preference for inaction or action in moral dilemmas. Result: This study finds that there were significant differences in the utilitarian moral judgment between the groups, t (360) = 3.24, p = 0.001, and Cohen’s d = 0.36. The analysis results of the CNI model show that the high psychopathy group on the N parameter was significantly lower than the group of low psychopathy, ΔG2 (2) = 79.70, p = 0.001. In terms of the C parameter, we found no significant distinctions between the two groups, ΔG2 (2) = 1.356, p = 0.244. For the I parameter, the two groups also have no significant differences, ΔG2 (2) = 0.093, p = 0.76. Conclusion: Persons with high psychopathy traits prefer to make more utilitarian moral judgments and have a weak sensitivity to moral norms (N). The sensitivity to consequences (C) of the two groups is no significant difference. The general preference for inaction versus action (I) also has no significant differences between those two groups. Moreover, the CNI model fits well in Chinese subjects.

The Role of Dark Personalities and the Setting in Explaining Counterproductive Work Behavior among Nurses in China

“…According to Li et al (2020), high psychopathy evident in the Chinese setting makes these individuals more likely to make utilitarian judgments than deontological judgments. However, Chinese culture blends individual interests with collective ones, and stresses an atmosphere of self-sacrifice and dedication.…”

“…Confucianism accentuates daily ethics and leads to a collectivist inclination, and an orientation toward the interests of others; it emphasizes the interests of the majority over the interests of the minority. Such a setting creates a culture that encourages psychopaths to harm vulnerable individuals in the organization, which is perceived in collectivist terms; thus, the organization is perceived as being unable to act against vulnerable individuals in the workplace (Li et al, 2020). This may explain the significant relationship between psychopathy and individual CWB, as well as the insignificant relationship with organizational CWB that represents collective interests.…”

Effects of Primary and Secondary Psychopathy on Deontological and Utilitarian Response Tendencies: The Mediator Role of Alexithymia

“…Such empirical evidence not only helps to explain other main aspects of psychopathy but also provides a deeper understanding of the mental underpinnings of moral judgment [ 12 ]. Using sacrificial dilemmas similar to the crying baby, some studies have shown a positive correlation between psychopathy and utilitarian judgment, suggesting that people with high psychopathy exhibit a preference for utilitarian over deontological judgment [ 12 , 18 , 19 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ]. However, the majority of these studies treated psychopathy as a general, unitary construct, which may obscure differential associations between the sub-dimensional levels of psychopathy and moral dilemma judgment.…”

“…For instance, some studies found that only primary psychopathy was correlated with utilitarian judgment [ 24 , 28 ], whereas other studies found that only secondary psychopathy was related to utilitarian judgment [ 22 , 26 ]. It has also been found that primary and secondary psychopathy were correlated with utilitarian judgment [ 25 ]. Thus, the effects of sub-dimensional levels of psychopathy on moral dilemma judgment need to be further explored.…”

Exploring the neural correlates of (altered) moral cognition in psychopaths

“…Psychopaths are thought to have a weak sensitivity to moral norms ( Li et al, 2020 ), which is why morally inappropriate behavior is often considered pathognomonic for them. In addition, there is research suggesting that psychopaths exhibit abnormal emotional profiles and have diminished inhibitory control, which conditions their higher potential for aggression ( Glenn & Raine, 2008 ; Kiehl, 2006 ; Kiehl et al, 2001 ; Raine & Yang, 2006 ).…”