The DOI matches its Crossref record; 246 of the 254 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
The emotional dog and its rational tail: A social intuitionist approach to moral judgment.
Abstract
Research on moral judgment has been dominated by rationalist models, in which moral judgment is thought to be caused by moral reasoning. The author gives 4 reasons for considering the hypothesis that moral reasoning does not cause moral judgment; rather, moral reasoning is usually a post hoc construction, generated after a judgment has been reached. The social intuitionist model is presented as an alternative to rationalist models. The model is a social model in that it deemphasizes the private reasoning done by individuals and emphasizes instead the importance of social and cultural influences. The model is an intuitionist model in that it states that moral judgment is generally the result of quick, automatic evaluations (intuitions). The model is more consistent that rationalist models with recent findings in social, cultural, evolutionary, and biological psychology, as well as in anthropology and primatology.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“However, since moral values appear to be deeply-held, stable across time, and resistant to change 11 – 13 , a parallel literature on moral cognition makes a different prediction: insofar as punishment is a method of restoring justice following a moral violation, punitive preferences should be less susceptible to group influence.”
From Crowdsourcing punishment: Individuals reference group preferences to inform their own punitive decisions (2019) · cites this paper as [13]
In the citing paper
“The behaviour of individuals living in communities is regulated by moral norms and values 158-162 .”
From Using social and behavioural science to support COVID-19 pandemic response (2020) · cites this paper as [159]
In the citing paper
“Haidt [26], for example, has argued that quick, automatic processes drive moral judgment while reflective processes play a more ad hoc role.”
From Anthropomorphism in AI: hype and fallacy (2024) · cites this paper as [26]
In the citing paper
“Research from social psychology suggests that when individuals encounter others who use fundamentally different moral philosophies to guide behavior, we tend to judge those others as immoral, rather than simply using a different moral perspective (Haidt, 2001(Haidt, , 2012)).”
From Taking Stock of Moral Approaches to Leadership: An Integrative Review of Ethical, Authentic, and Servant Leadership (2019) · cites this paper as Haidt, 2001
In the citing paper
“Influential theories in psychology maintain that our moral sense is shaped by the social world (1)”
From Emotion shapes the diffusion of moralized content in social networks (2017) · cites this paper as [1]
In the citing paper
“Most existing research takes a dyadic perspective to study the social transmission of morality; typically, one person (such as a child) is exposed to another's ideas (e.g., parent) through behavior or communication (1,2).”
From Emotion shapes the diffusion of moralized content in social networks (2017) · cites this paper as [1]
In the citing paper
“As noted, other research suggests that moral judgments are often based on moral intuitions or heuristics [1], leading to quick and simple judgments.”
From The Importance of Moral Construal: Moral versus Non-Moral Construal Elicits Faster, More Extreme, Universal Evaluations of the Same Actions (2012) · cites this paper as [1]
In the citing paper
“Moreover, disgust also affects our moral judgment [38,40,42].”
From Fatal attraction: the intuitive appeal of GMO opposition (2015) · cites this paper as [42]
In the citing paper
“This caveat might have contributed to the similar results in the meta-analyses on moral cognition and on ToM (rather than on empathy), given that emotion processing is thought to play a paramount role in real-world moral cognition (Krebs 2008; Tangney et al. 2007; Haidt 2001).”
From Parsing the neural correlates of moral cognition: ALE meta-analysis on morality, theory of mind, and empathy (2012) · cites this paper as Haidt 2001
Citations
Cites
A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance
Festinger, L. (1957) · doi:10.1515/9781503620766 · Cited by 24,241
Advances In Experimental Social Psychology
(2022) · Advances in experimental social psychology · doi:10.1016/s0065-2601(22)x0002-6 · Cited by 22,559
A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance
Morvan, C., & O’Connor, A. (2017) · Macat Library eBooks · doi:10.4324/9781912282432 · Cited by 18,284
The Social Construction of Reality
Rose, D. M., Berger, P. L., & Luckmann, T. (1967) · Modern Language Journal · doi:10.2307/323448 · Cited by 13,850
Women, Fire, and Dangerous Things
Lakoff, G. P. (1987) · University of Chicago Press eBooks · doi:10.7208/chicago/9780226471013.001.0001 · Cited by 13,358
Lazarus, R. S. (1991) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780195069945.001.0001 · Cited by 12,691
The Handbook of Social Psychology
Gravatt, A. E., Lindzey, G. E., & Aronson, F. (1969) · The Family Coordinator · doi:10.2307/582242 · Cited by 12,518
Telling more than we can know: Verbal reports on mental processes.
Nisbett, R. E., & Wilson, T. D. (1977) · Psychological Review · doi:10.1037/0033-295x.84.3.231 · Cited by 11,317 · cited 7×
“To say that moral reasoning is a conscious process means that the process is intentional, effortful, and controllable and that the reasoner is aware that it is going on (Bargh, 1994).”
BackgroundInfluentialThe Evolution of Reciprocal Altruism
Trivers, R. L. (1971) · The Quarterly Review of Biology · doi:10.1086/406755 · Cited by 11,010
(1994) · DigitalGeorgetown (Georgetown University Library) · Cited by 10,542
Research works printed but not linked: 26
- Black, 1998, Neuronal plasticity and the developing brain., 31
- Chen, 1999, The heuristic-systematic model in its broader context., 73
- D'Andrade, 1984, Cultural meaning systems., 88
- Darwin, 1998, The descent of man.
- de Waal, 1982, Chimpanzee politics.
- Frijda, 1986, The emotions.
- Hare, 1993, Without conscience.
- Harrison, 1967, Ethical objectivism., Vols. 3-4, 71
- Huttenlocher, 1994, Synaptogenesis, synapse elimination, and neural plasticity in human cerebral cortex., Vol. 27, 35
- Kagan, 1984, The nature of the child.
- Kant, 1959, Foundation of the metaphysics of morals (L. W. Beck. Trans.).
- Kohlberg, 1969, Stage and sequence: The cognitive-developmental approach to socialization., 347
- Lapsley, 1996, Moral psychology.
- Margolis, 1987, Patterns, thinking, and cognition.
- Mednick, 1982, Biology and violence., 21
- Mischel, 1976, A cognitive social-learning approach to morality and self-regulation., 84
- Newcomb, 1943, Personality and social change: Attitude formation in a student community.
- Pavlov, 1927, Conditioned reflexes.
- Perkins, 1983, Difficulties in everyday reasoning., 177
- Premack, 1995, Origins of human social competence., 205
- Rozin, 2000, Disgust., 637
- Shweder, 1997, The "big three" of morality (autonomy, community, and divinity), and the "big three" explanations of suffering., 119
- Singer, 1994, Rethinking life and death.
- Solomon, 1993, The philosophy of emotions., 3
- Solomon, 1991, A terror management theory of social behavior., 93
- Williams, 1967, Rationalism., Vols. 7-8, 69
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 6,801–6,900 of 8,792
Eetiliselt keerulistes olukordades otsustamine Eesti juhtide näitel
Palta-Kivi, K. (2019) · DSpace repository (University of Tartu)
Exploring Right-vs-Right Ethical Dilemmas: How Firefighters Experience and Manage Loyalty Tensions
Ginena, K. (2019) · Academy of Management Proceedings · doi:10.5465/ambpp.2019.19277abstract
Real Worlds: Simulating Non-standard Rationality in Microeconomics
Gerace, G. (2019) · Computational social sciences · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-22605-3_3
Political Ideology, the Moralizing of Income Inequality, and Its Social ConsequencesPreprint
O'Donnell, M., & Chen, S. (2018) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.3253666
Cooperation in social groups: reactions to (moral) deviants
Hechler, S. (2017) · Common Library Network (Der Gemeinsame Bibliotheksverbund)
Cautiously optimistic rationalism may not be cautious enough
Landy, J. F. (2019) · Behavioral and Brain Sciences · doi:10.1017/s0140525x18002613
Hunter, E. M. (2019) · The Atrium (University of Guelph)
Improving Argumentative Writing in School
Onoda, R. (2019) · The Annual Report of Educational Psychology in Japan · doi:10.5926/arepj.58.185
Sentimiento de culpa deontológico y sentimiento de culpa altruista: una tesis dualista
Mancini, F., & Gangemi, A. (2019) · Revista de Psicoterapia
Halvorson-Fried, S. M. (2016) · VTechWorks (Virginia Tech)
Tsuzuki, Y., & Shingaki, N. (2019) · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB)
The nature and management of ethical dilemmas: The experiences of Australian senior executives
Crews, J. (2016) · Edith Cowan University Research Online (Edith Cowan University)
Screen Stories: Responses to the Critics
Plantinga, C. (2019) · Projections · doi:10.3167/proj.2019.130309
Charteris‐Black, J. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-28768-9_2
Crise de confiance et crise de vérité : religion, culture et réticence à la vaccination au Canada
Bramadat, P. A. (2019) · Éditions de l'Université de Sherbrooke eBooks · doi:10.17118/11143/16026
Higgins, E. T. (2019) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190948054.003.0002
The Evolutionary Vindication of Morality
Iversen, R. R. (2005) · The MIT Press eBooks · doi:10.7551/mitpress/2880.003.0007
Higgins, E. T. (2019) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190948054.003.0007
Higgins, E. T. (2019) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190948054.003.0010
Higgins, E. T. (2019) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190948054.003.0006
Higgins, E. T. (2019) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190948054.003.0013
Childhood Development of Shared Reality
Higgins, E. T. (2019) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190948054.003.0003
Banks, E. R. (2019) · Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) · doi:10.17615/wbr9-4880
Political Dogma Stroll’s non political moral decision making
Noorani, I., Shakir, K., & Hussain, M. (2013) · Politikon IAPSS Journal of Political Science · doi:10.22151/politikon.19.4
Higgins, E. T. (2019) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190948054.003.0009
Keeney, J. E. (2019) · Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) · doi:10.17615/e6gd-d688
Societal Rationality: Bounded or Embedded?
DeMoor, M. J. (2019) · Philosophia Reformata · doi:10.1163/23528230-08402001
Childhood Development of Shared Reality
Higgins, E. T. (2019) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190948054.003.0004
Higgins, E. T. (2019) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190948054.003.0012
Higgins, E. T. (2019) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190948054.003.0008
The Roots of Human Shared Reality
Higgins, E. T. (2019) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190948054.003.0005
Beauty and the Be(a)st: Aesthetics, Pedagogy, and Andragogy
Diessner, R. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-32333-2_8
Higgins, E. T. (2019) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190948054.003.0011
Kangassalo, M. (2019) · Tampere University Institutional Repository (Tampere University)
Metadata of the chapter that will be visualized in SpringerLink
Fass, D. (2017) · Zhytomyr State University Library (Zhytomyr Ivan Franko State University)
On the perceived objectivity of some moral beliefs
Wood, G. (2019) · Philosophical Psychology · doi:10.1080/09515089.2019.1696454
Taboo choices and tragic dilemmas : sacred values as facilitators or barriers in decision making
Hanselmann, M. (2010) · Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) · doi:10.5167/uzh-163954
El utilitarismo desapasionado.
Vílchez, D. M. C. D. (1970) · Télos · doi:10.15304/t.17.2.767
Expectations do not affect punishment
Coffman, L. C. (2019) · Journal of the Economic Science Association · doi:10.1007/s40881-019-00079-9
(2019) · Éditions de l'Université de Sherbrooke eBooks · doi:10.17118/11143/16035
Herman, M. H. (2019) · ScholarWorks@BGSU (Bowling Green State University) · doi:10.13140/rg.2.2.24288.92164
Deep Selves in Moral Responsibility: Challenging the Realist Assumption
Davenport, M. D. (2019) · The Sydney eScholarship Repository (The University of Sydney)
Validación de Constructo y de Criterio de la Reflexibilidad Cognitiva
Otero, I. (2019) · Hispana
Quando a ciência é ídolo: um comentário crítico sobre a psicologia moral nietzschiana de Leiter
Backendorf, J. M. (2019) · Cadernos Nietzsche · doi:10.1590/2316-82422019v4003jb
Normativity and Representation in Kant's Theory of Cognition
Hutton, J. (2019) · Apollo (University of Cambridge) · doi:10.17863/cam.48049
Retribution and the Evolution of Human Punishment
Brammall, J. (2017) · The Sydney eScholarship Repository (The University of Sydney)
Diverging Decisions? A Comparison of Jury Verdict Procedures
Burd, K. A., Hans, V. P., Phalen, H. J., Madon, S., Guyll, M., & Reed, K. (2025) · Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.3390/bs15121666
La diversidad política va a mejorar la ciencia de la psicología social
- (2016) · Estudios Públicos · doi:10.38178/cep.vi141.170
Esteban, E. G. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-22562-9_9
King, J. W. (2018) · Research Repository (Kingston University London)
Decisão e punição: além da racionalidade jurídica
Júnior, J. R. M. (2020) · RFD- Revista da Faculdade de Direito da UERJ · doi:10.12957/rfd.2019.32273
Which Government’s Policy Style is More Conducive to Prevention?
Cairney, P., & Denny, E. S. (2020) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198793298.003.0004
Apt Emotions and Normative Continuity
Gilmore, J. (2020) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190096342.003.0004
Prevention Policy as the Ultimate ‘Wicked’ Problem
Cairney, P., & Denny, E. S. (2020) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198793298.003.0001
Gilmore, J. (2020) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190096342.003.0007
Early Intervention for ‘Troubled Families’
Cairney, P., & Denny, E. S. (2020) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198793298.003.0009
A framework for assessing empirical approaches to moral philosophy.
Thomson, D. (2020) · UC Research Repository (University of Canterbury) · doi:10.26021/4554
Cairney, P., & Denny, E. S. (2020) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198793298.003.0005
Epistemology of Fiction and Rational Imagining
Gilmore, J. (2020) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190096342.003.0006
Giving the Devil his Due: Reflections of a Scientific Humanist
Shermer, M. (2020)
Cognitive Imagining and Literary Fictions
Gilmore, J. (2020) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190096342.003.0002
A CULTURAL EVOLUTIONARY APPROACH TO MODERNITY: WHAT MIGHT IT MEAN FOR CHRISTIAN FAITH?
Patterson, C. (2020) · Zygon® · doi:10.1111/zygo.12581
The Impact of foreign language processing on judgements, decisions and emotions
Vives, M. (2020) · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Mitarbeiterkommunikation zur Stärkung moralischen Mitarbeiterverhaltens
Wolfgruber, D. (2021) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-658-23152-1_34
SITUATIONAL AND TRAIT INFLUENCES ON DYNAMIC JUSTICE
Stein, J. H. (2010) · UA Campus Repository (The University of Arizona)
Beyond good and bad: Varieties of moral judgmentPreprint
Jiménez‐Leal, W., Murray, S. F., Amaya, S., & Barbosa, S. (2020) · PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/qb2uv
Extracting value : appreciative engagement as metacognition
van der Berg, S. (2020) · cIRcle (University of British Columbia) · doi:10.14288/1.0389629
Locking in Segregation through Suburban Control
Trounstine, J. L. (2018) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108555722.009
Crowe, J. (2019) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108653237.006
The Polarized Nation That Segregation Built
Trounstine, J. L. (2018) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108555722.010
Asymmetry in Belief Formation and Change: the Role of Intuitive Cognition and Inhibition
Samara-Colvin, D. B. (2019) · Goldsmiths (University of London) · doi:10.25602/gold.00027668
Denton, M. L., & Flory, R. W. (2020) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190064785.003.0008
Denton, M. L., & Flory, R. W. (2020) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190064785.003.0003
The Teens from Soul Searching 10 Years Later
Denton, M. L., & Flory, R. W. (2020) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190064785.003.0002
Denton, M. L., & Flory, R. W. (2020) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190064785.003.0007
Denton, M. L., Flory, R. W., & Hill, J. D. (2020) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190064785.003.0006
Emerging Adult Religious Commitment and Identity
Denton, M. L., & Flory, R. W. (2020) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190064785.003.0005
Denton, M. L., & Flory, R. W. (2020) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190064785.003.0004
Rigor or rhetoric: philosopher and public in dialogue
Burks, D. K. (2018) · Perspectives · doi:10.2478/pipjp-2018-0001
Stigmatisierung von Menschen mit einer psychischen Erkrankung
Wallner, J. (2020) · Springer Reference Pflege, Therapie, Gesundheit · doi:10.1007/978-3-662-58685-3_62-1
El imperativo ético de la mejora moral
Sánchez, F. D. L. (2016) · Gazeta de Antropología · doi:10.30827/digibug.43306
Navarro, M. G. (2017) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9781118430873.est0574
On the rudiments and benefits of philanthropy in the perspective of cognitive research
Dziarnowska, W. (2020) · Praca Socjalna · doi:10.5604/01.3001.0014.1494
Ethical Blind Spots and Accounting
Fiolleau, K. (2018) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-23514-1_360-1
Kromer, O. D. (2020) · eDiss (Georg-August-Universität Göttingen) · doi:10.53846/goediss-7966
Personal accounts for religious prejudice in Christians
Gemberling, T. M. (2018)
It’s About Time: Linking Happiness and the Pursuit of Sustainability
Kantenbacher, J. (2015) · eScholarship (California Digital Library)
Culture-related tools of moral evil – cognitive-evolutionary approach
Florek, S., & Piotrowski, P. (2018) · Kultura i Wartości · doi:10.17951/kw.2018.25.101
Applis, S. (2020) · Ethik und Bildung · doi:10.1007/978-3-476-05173-8_5
Diversity of judgments: reason and emotions in forensic practice
Tomasi, S. (2020)
MORAL DECISIONS ABOUT HUMAN GERM‐LINE MODIFICATION
Adams, R. R. (2020) · Zygon® · doi:10.1111/zygo.12592
Towards a Theory for Supporting Creativity in Schools
Wearing, J. (2019) · QSpace (Queen's University Library)
Social Normativity for Legal PhilosophersPreprint
Mar, M. T. D. (2009) · Swiss Philosophical Preprint Series · doi:10.48106/spps.00029
Barthold, L. S. (2020) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-45586-6_5
Metadata
- Authors
- Haidt, J.
- Affiliations
- University of Virginia (US)
- Corresponding author
- Haidt, Jonathan
- ORCID
- Haidt, Jonathan
- Venue
- Psychological Review
- Published
- 2001
- Volume
- 108
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 814-834
- ISSN
- 0033-295X (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1471
- OpenAlex
- W2123791568
- Semantic Scholar
- b74e8da297574fd071d4b48b7aa94ea16861aea6
- Cited by
- 8,048
- References
- 254
- Citations by year
- 2026: 365 · 2025: 479 · 2024: 360 · 2023: 447 · 2022: 497 · 2021: 468 · 2020: 535 · 2019: 511 · 2018: 405 · 2017: 401 · 2016: 408 · 2015: 416 · 2014: 436 · 2013: 433 · 2012: 369
- FWCI
- 16.27
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychological Review (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (1r03da012606-01)
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (1-RO3-DA12606-01)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Ethics in Business and Education
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Philosophical Ethics and Theory
- Keywords
- moral judgment, moral reasoning, social intuitionism, moral intuitions, automated assessment, evolutionary psychology of morality
- MeSH terms
- Emotions, Humans, Morals, Problem Solving, Social Perception, Social Values, Intuition
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review