Disease and Disapproval: COVID-19 Concern is Related to Greater Moral Condemnation.

ABSTRACT: Prior research has indicated that disease threat and disgust are associated with harsher moral condemnation. We investigated the role of a specific, highly salient health concern, namely the spread of the coronavirus, and associated COVID-19 disease, on moral disapproval. We hypothesized that individuals who report greater subjective worry about COVID-19 would be more sensitive to moral transgressions. Across three studies (N = 913), conducted March-May 2020 as the pandemic started to unfold in the United States, we found that individuals who were worried about contracting the infectious disease made harsher moral judgments than those who were relatively less worried. This effect was not restricted to transgressions involving purity, but extended to transgressions involving harm, fa

SUBMITTER: Henderson RK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10358411 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr-Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature