Elevation Puts Moral Values Into Action
Open accessAbstract
Moral elevation has been shown to increase helping behavior. However, this might be due to a threatened moral self-image because people engage in a social comparison with a moral exemplar and conclude that their own moral integrity is inferior. Alternatively, feelings of elevation might provide a motivational impetus to act on one’s moral values. We provided participants with an opportunity to engage in self-affirmation, which was followed by an induction of moral elevation or a neutral control mood. Compared to the neutral mood, participants experiencing moral elevation showed higher levels of helping behavior following self-affirmation. This effect was especially pronounced in participants experiencing moral elevation who reminded themselves of previous prosocial behavior; they showed more helping than participants experiencing moral elevation who had not engaged in self-affirmation. Thus, rather than posing a threat to moral self-worth, feelings of elevation can provide the motivational trigger to act on affirmed moral values.
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- Authors
- Schnall, S., & Roper, J.
- Affiliations
- University of Cambridge (GB)
- University of Plymouth (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Schnall, Simone
- ORCID
- Schnall, Simone
- Venue
- Social Psychological and Personality Science
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2011-10-05
- Volume
- 3
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 373-378
- ISSN
- 1948-5506 (ISSN-L)
- 1948-5514
- OpenAlex
- W2026328669
- Cited by
- 145
- References
- 26
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 5
- FWCI
- 2.59
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Social Psychological and Personality Science (publishedVersion)
- Apollo (University of Cambridge) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Economic and Social Research Council (ES/I031758/1, RES-000-22-4453, RES-000-)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Leadership, Courage, and Heroism Studies
- Keywords
- moral elevation, helping behavior, self-affirmation, moral self-perception, moral values, prosocial behavior, social comparison, moral exemplars, motivation
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