Equity or equality? Moral judgments follow the money

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Behavioral Economics
• Moral Psychology

Background:

• Existing research highlights individual dispositions as a primary driver of differing moral views.
• The role of self-interest in shaping moral judgments and disagreements remains less explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate self-interest as a significant source of moral disagreement.
• To examine how personal interests influence judgments of fairness and morality in resource allocation.

Main Methods:

• Three experiments involving a simple economic game where participants allocated money.
• Allocation principles included equality (equal payoffs) and equity (payoffs proportional to effort).
• Participant roles and evolving understanding of their interests were manipulated and observed.

Main Results:

• Moral judgments of allocation rules were biased by self-interest; participants favored and deemed fairer the rule benefiting them most.
• Views on equality versus equity shifted rapidly (within minutes) based on participants' perceived self-interest.
• Strategic advocacy for unequal division (equity) diminished when its justification was removed, indicating limits to self-interest.

Conclusions:

• Self-interest significantly influences moral judgments and contributes to moral disagreement.
• Individuals strategically adopt moral principles that align with their immediate self-interest.
• Understanding the role of self-interest is crucial for comprehending moral debate and conflict.