Two-faced morality: distrust promotes divergent moral standards for the self versus others
Journal
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
Subject
Organisational Behaviour
Publishing details
Authors / Editors
Weiss A;Burgmer P;Mussweiler T
Biographies
Publication Year
2018
Abstract
People do not trust hypocrites, because they preach water, but drink wine. The current research shows that, ironically, when we distrust, we become moral hypocrites ourselves. We argue that experiencing distrust alerts us to the possibility that others may intent to exploit us, and that such looming exploitation differentially affects moral standards for the self versus others. Four studies (N = 1,225) examined this possibility and its underlying motivational dynamic. Study 1 established a relationship between dispositional distrust and flexible, self-serving moral cognition. In Studies 2 and 3, participants experiencing distrust (vs. trust) endorsed more lenient moral standards for themselves than for others. Study 4 explored the role of the motivation to avoid exploitation in these effects. Specifically, participants’ dispositional victim sensitivity moderated the effect of distrust on hypocrisy. Together, these findings suggest that individuals who distrust and fear to be exploited show self-serving, and hence untrustworthy, moral cognition themselves.
Keywords
Distrust; Trust; Moral Hypocrisy; Moral Judgment; Exploitation Avoidance; Victim Sensitivity
Available on ECCH
No