The illusion of moral decline

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Sociology
• Moral Psychology

Background:

• Anecdotal evidence and public perception suggest a decline in global morality.
• This belief has persisted for at least 70 years across numerous nations.
• Attributions for perceived moral decline include individual aging and generational shifts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the pervasive belief in declining global morality.
• To determine if the perception of moral decline is empirically supported or illusory.
• To identify the psychological mechanisms underlying the illusion of moral decline.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of archival and original data from over 12 million individuals across 60 nations.
• Comparative analysis of historical and contemporary reports on morality.
• Experimental studies manipulating information exposure and memory recall related to morality.

Main Results:

• The perception of moral decline is widespread, enduring, and unfounded.
• Objective measures show no decline in the morality of contemporaries over time.
• Psychological biases, including biased information exposure and memory, create the illusion of moral decline.

Conclusions:

• The belief in declining morality is a cognitive illusion, not a reflection of reality.
• Understanding this illusion is crucial for addressing resource misallocation and social support deficits.
• The illusion can be attenuated, eliminated, or reversed under specific conditions, such as focusing on known individuals or historical periods.