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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2014 Dec;40(12):1559-73.
doi: 10.1177/0146167214551152. Epub 2014 Oct 6.

Shifting liberal and conservative attitudes using moral foundations theory

Martin V Day  1 , Susan T Fiske  2 , Emily L Downing  3 , Thomas E Trail  4
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Shifting liberal and conservative attitudes using moral foundations theory

Martin V Day et al. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2014 Dec.

Abstract

People's social and political opinions are grounded in their moral concerns about right and wrong. We examine whether five moral foundations--harm, fairness, ingroup, authority, and purity--can influence political attitudes of liberals and conservatives across a variety of issues. Framing issues using moral foundations may change political attitudes in at least two possible ways: (a) Entrenching: Relevant moral foundations will strengthen existing political attitudes when framing pro-attitudinal issues (e.g., conservatives exposed to a free-market economic stance) and (b) Persuasion: Mere presence of relevant moral foundations may also alter political attitudes in counter-attitudinal directions (e.g., conservatives exposed to an economic regulation stance). Studies 1 and 2 support the entrenching hypothesis. Relevant moral foundation-based frames bolstered political attitudes for conservatives (Study 1) and liberals (Study 2). Only Study 2 partially supports the persuasion hypothesis. Conservative-relevant moral frames of liberal issues increased conservatives' liberal attitudes.

Keywords: attitudes; ideology; moral foundations; morality; politics.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Mean conservative attitudes depending on political orientation and exposure to moral foundation frames of conservative stances, Study 1. Liberal and conservative means represent 1 SD below and above the mean political orientation, respectively. Each moral foundation is graphed separately. A: Harm; B: Fairness; C: Ingroup; D: Authority; E: Purity.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Conservative attitudes by political orientation following exposure to liberal stances framed using the various moral foundations, Study 2. Liberal and conservative means are indicative of -/+ 1 SD of the mean political orientation, respectively. Moral foundations are graphed individually. A: Harm; B: Fairness; C: Ingroup; D: Authority; E: Purity.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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