Political differences in free will belief are associated with differences in moralization.

• DOI: 10.1037/pspp0000286
• Publication Date: 2020-04-09T13:19:31Z
• Authors: Jim Albert Charlt...; Cory J. Clark; Peter Meindl; Jamie B. Luguri; Brian D. Earp; Jesse Graham; Peter H. Ditto; Azim F. Shariff
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Motivation; Politics; 05 social sciences; Middle Aged; Morals; United States; H; Young Adult; Social Perception; Personal Autonomy; Humans; Female; 0501 psychology and cognitive sciences

In fourteen studies, we tested whether political conservatives' stronger free will beliefs were linked to and broader tendencies moralize, thus a greater motivation assign blame.In Study 1 (meta-analysis of five n=308,499) show that conservatives have moralize than liberals, even for moralization measures containing zero content (e.g., moral badness ratings faces personality traits).In 2, report higher belief, this is statistically mediated by the belief people should be held morally responsible their bad behavior (n=14,707).In 3, conservatism associated with attributions specific events.Turning experimental manipulations test our hypotheses, that: when liberals see an action as equally wrong there no difference in (Study 4); less they attribute 5); perceptions wrongness account relation between ideology 6a 6b).Finally, differentially same depending on who performed it (Studies 7a-d).These results are consistent theory differences at least partly explicable tendency which strengthens justify blame personal accountability.free will; morality;