Monitoring Moral Virtue: When the Moral Transgressions of In-Group Members Are Judged More Severely

Abstract

Literature indicates that people tend to judge the moral transgressions committed by out-group members more severely than those of in-group members. However, these transgressions often conflate a moral transgression with some form of intergroup harm. There is little research examining in-group versus out-group transgressions of harmless offenses, which violate moral standards that bind people together (binding foundations). As these moral standards center around group cohesiveness, a transgression committed by an in-group member may be judged more severely. The current research presented Dutch Muslims (Study 1), American Christians (Study 2), and Indian Hindus (Study 3) with a set of fictitious stories depicting harmless and harmful moral transgressions. Consistent with our expectations, participants who strongly identified with their religious community judged harmless moral offenses committed by in-group members, relative to out-group members, more severely. In contrast, this effect was absent when participants judged harmful moral transgressions. We discuss the implications of these results.

Disease Threat and the Functional Flexibility of Ingroup Derogation

“…Researchers should look into this question in the future. In addition, it should also be noted that while we mainly investigated the ingroup derogation phenomenon among mainland Chinese participants, the current findings are not directly applicable to the ingroup derogation found in minority groups (e.g., Allport, 1958; Jost et al, 2002; Livingston, 2002; Rudman et al, 2002; Ashburn-Nardo et al, 2003; Umphress et al, 2008; March and Graham, 2015; Axt et al, 2018) or to the ingroup derogation found against deviant ingroup members (Marques et al, 1988; Kunstman et al, 2016; Bettache et al, 2019). Although the theory of behavioral immune system may offer the ultimate explanation for the black sheep effect, explaining the ingroup derogation found in socially disadvantaged groups would be another story (e.g., Wu et al, 2015, 2016).…”

“…In previous studies (e.g., Jost et al, 2002; Ashburn-Nardo et al, 2003; Zhao et al, 2012; Liu et al, 2015; March and Graham, 2015; Bettache et al, 2019), researchers mainly investigated the ingroup derogation phenomenon among actual social groups. With three behavioral experiments, the present study investigated the bias of ingroup derogation by using the minimal group paradigm.…”

“…This counterintuitive bias was initially found in minorities or inferior social groups (Allport, 1958; Jost et al, 2002; Livingston, 2002; Rudman et al, 2002; Ashburn-Nardo et al, 2003; Umphress et al, 2008; March and Graham, 2015; Axt et al, 2018). Studies also revealed that participants rated the deviant ingroup members more negatively compared with their outgroup counterparts (i.e., the black sheep effect; see Marques et al, 1988; Reese et al, 2013; Kunstman et al, 2016; Bettache et al, 2019). In addition, studies also showed that, in East Asian cultures, even though the participants were not minorities or deviants, they still seemed to possess a general, status irrelevant, and pervasive negative posture toward ingroup members (Jahoda et al, 1972; Hewstone and Ward, 1985; Lee and Ottati, 1993, 1995; Diener et al, 1995; Heine and Lehman, 1997; Endo et al, 2000; Snibbe et al, 2003; Cuddy et al, 2009; Ma-Kellams et al, 2011; Zhao et al, 2012; Liu et al, 2015; Wu et al, 2015, 2016; Zuo et al, 2018; Xie et al, 2019).…”

“…That is, some participants were found to show a preference for outgroup members relative to ones’ ingroup members (Jost et al, 2002; Ma-Kellams et al, 2011; Zhao et al, 2012; Liu et al, 2015; March and Graham, 2015; Wu et al, 2015, 2016; Barker and Barclay, 2016; Zuo et al, 2018; Bettache et al, 2019). This counterintuitive bias was initially found in minorities or inferior social groups (Allport, 1958; Jost et al, 2002; Livingston, 2002; Rudman et al, 2002; Ashburn-Nardo et al, 2003; Umphress et al, 2008; March and Graham, 2015; Axt et al, 2018). Studies also revealed that participants rated the deviant ingroup members more negatively compared with their outgroup counterparts (i.e., the black sheep effect; see Marques et al, 1988; Reese et al, 2013; Kunstman et al, 2016; Bettache et al, 2019).…”

Who is the Neoliberal? Exploring Neoliberal Beliefs across East and West

“…Psychological dispositions related to political ideology may also extend to our sense of morality: The moral “senses” of fairness and care are more acute among the political left, whereas authority, loyalty, and sanctity are more acute on the political and religious right (Bettache, Hamamura, Amrani Idrissi, Amenyogbo, & Chiu, ; Graham, Haidt, & Nosek, ). Psychological traits that correlate with political ideology can be divided into epistemic and existential “motives” (Jost, ).…”