Emotions as Moral Amplifiers: An Appraisal Tendency Approach to the Influences of Distinct Emotions upon Moral Judgment
Abstract
In this article, we advance the perspective that distinct emotions amplify different moral judgments, based on the emotion’s core appraisals. This theorizing yields four insights into the way emotions shape moral judgment. We submit that there are two kinds of specificity in the impact of emotion upon moral judgment: domain specificity and emotion specificity. We further contend that the unique embodied aspects of an emotion, such as nonverbal expressions and physiological responses, contribute to an emotion’s impact on moral judgment. Finally, emotions play a key role in determining which issues acquire moral significance in a society over time, in a process known as moralization (Rozin, 1999). The implications of these four observations for future research on emotion and morality are discussed.
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Emotions amplify moral judgments.
“amplify moral judgments (7)”
From Emotion shapes the diffusion of moralized content in social networks (2017) · cites this paper as [7]
Positive emotions often engender weaker moral judgment.
“The proposed link between nostalgia (a predominantly positive emotion) and greater punitiveness may seem counterintuitive in light of evidence that positive emotions often engender weaker moral judgment57.”
From Nostalgia increases punitiveness by intensifying moral concern (2024) · cites this paper as [57]
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- Authors
- Horberg, E. J., Oveis, C., & Keltner, D.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Berkeley (US)
- Harvard University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Horberg, Elizabeth J.
- Venue
- Emotion Review
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2011-06-28
- Volume
- 3
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 237-244
- ISSN
- 1754-0739 (ISSN-L)
- 1754-0747
- OpenAlex
- W2145077330
- Cited by
- 339
- References
- 63
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 20 · 2024: 28 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 62 · 2021: 25 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 31 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 21 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 23 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 8.42
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Emotion Review (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Information Systems and Management › Ethics in Business and Education
- Keywords
- emotions, moral judgment, domain specificity, emotion specificity, embodied emotion, nonverbal expression, physiological responses, moralization, moral significance, emotions and morality
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