Individual differences in reliance on intuition predict harsher moral judgments

Area of Science:

• Moral Psychology
• Cognitive Science
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Intuition is widely believed to guide moral judgment.
• Research on individual differences in intuition's influence on moral judgment is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether individual differences in faith in intuition (FI) predict moral condemnation.
• To examine the robustness of this relationship across various experimental manipulations.

Main Methods:

• Five studies (N = 1543 total) assessed participants' faith in intuition (FI).
• Participants evaluated moral scenarios, some involving ambiguous harm.
• Experimental manipulations included considering harm/victims and enhancing deliberation.

Main Results:

• Higher FI consistently predicted greater condemnation of moral transgressions, particularly those with ambiguous harm.
• This association persisted even after controlling for ideological and emotional factors.
• Manipulations promoting deliberation or prior consideration of harm did not weaken the FI-condemnation link.

Conclusions:

• Individual differences in faith in intuition are a significant predictor of moral condemnation.
• The influence of intuition on moral judgment is robust against factors that typically encourage deliberation.
• Findings have implications for understanding moral psychology theories like Dyadic Morality and Moral Foundations Theory.