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Value judgments and the true self.

George E Newman1, Paul Bloom, Joshua Knobe

  • 11Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.

Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

People tend to believe the "true self" is inherently good, associating it with virtuous behavior. Observers

Keywords:
attributionauthenticitymoral reasoningpositivity biaspsychological essentialismtrue self

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Social Psychology
  • Moral Psychology

Background:

  • The concept of a "true self" is central to psychological theories and everyday beliefs.
  • Understanding the true self influences perceptions of personal identity and behavior.
  • Existing research highlights the significance of the true self construct.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the implicit assumptions people make about the fundamental nature of the true self.
  • To examine whether the true self is perceived as inherently good or neutral.
  • To explore the role of moral judgments in defining the true self.

Main Methods:

  • Three experimental studies were conducted to test hypotheses about the true self.
  • Participants evaluated hypothetical individuals based on their behaviors.
  • The influence of observers' moral values and the nature of mental states were assessed.

Main Results:

  • Observers predominantly associate the true self with morally good behaviors over morally bad ones.
  • Personal moral values significantly shape judgments about another person's true self.
  • This normative perception of the true self remains consistent regardless of the underlying mental state (beliefs vs. feelings).

Conclusions:

  • There is a widespread tendency to view the true self as fundamentally virtuous.
  • Moral judgments are integral to defining and perceiving the true self in others.
  • The belief in a good true self is a robust psychological phenomenon, independent of specific cognitive mechanisms.