David A. Pizarro | Cornell University (original) (raw)

Papers by David A. Pizarro

Psychological Science, 2003

An important consideration in judging the blameworthiness (or praiseworthiness) of an action is w... more An important consideration in judging the blameworthiness (or praiseworthiness) of an action is whether the agent had sufficient control over it. In three experiments, we investigated judgments of moral blame and praise elicited when individuals were presented with vignettes describing actions that were performed either carefully and deliberately or impulsively and uncontrollably. Experiment 1 uncovered an asymmetry between judgments of positive versus negative actions--negative impulsive actions elicited a discounting of moral blame, but positive impulsive actions did not elicit a discounting of moral praise. Experiments 2 and 3 showed that this asymmetry arises because individuals judge agents on the basis of their metadesires (the degree to which the agents embrace or reject the impulses leading to their actions). Individuals assume that an agent would embrace an uncontrollable positive impulse, and reject an uncontrollable negative impulse.

Ajob Neuroscience, 2011

There is perhaps no other science (with the possible exception of quantum mechanics) that wreaks ... more There is perhaps no other science (with the possible exception of quantum mechanics) that wreaks havoc on our intuitions the way neuroscience does. The growing knowledge it provides about the inner workings of the brain seems to threaten some of our most deeply held intuitions about how the mind works. Of particular concern to many is that learning how the brain works will necessarily cause us to alter the way we think about human freedom and moral responsibility. If our thoughts and feelings are governed by the same basic laws ...

Recent work in social psychology and experimental philosophy has suggested that moral considerati... more Recent work in social psychology and experimental philosophy has suggested that moral considerations (praise vs. blame) can influence judgments about the intentional status of an act, contradicting both lay and legal assumptions about the relationship between theory of mind and morality. A corollary of this account suggests that different assessments of intentional action should emerge whenever people hold different moral values. Five studies validated this implication. Participants were more likely to report an action as intentionally caused if it lead to a negative side-effect that had strong moral significance to the participant. This pattern was found when looking at differences in participants' protected values (Exepriments 1 & 2), political orientation (Experiments 3 & 4), and gender (Experiment 5). These findings support the claim that moral values can strongly influence lay concepts of intentional action, providing an explanation of how people may arrive at different judgments of intentionality while nevertheless agreeing on the actors state of mind.

Psychological Inquiry, 2012

Psychology of Learning and Motivation, 2009

Moral judgments are important, intuitive, and complex. These factors make moral judgment particul... more Moral judgments are important, intuitive, and complex. These factors make moral judgment particularly fertile ground for motivated reasoning. This chapter reviews research (both our own and that of others) examining two general pathways by which motivational forces can alter the moral implications of an act: by affecting perceptions of an actor's moral accountability for the act, and by influencing the normative moral principles people rely on to evaluate the morality of the act. We conclude by discussing the implications of research on motivated moral reasoning for both classic and contemporary views of the moral thinker.

Emotion, 2012

An induction of disgust can lead to more negative attitudes toward an entire social group: Partic... more An induction of disgust can lead to more negative attitudes toward an entire social group: Participants who were exposed to a noxious ambient odor reported less warmth toward gay men. This effect of disgust was equally strong for political liberals and conservatives, and was specific to attitudes toward gay men-there was only a weak effect of disgust on people's warmth toward lesbians, and no consistent effect on attitudes toward African Americans, the elderly, or a range of political issues.

European Public Law, 2012

Emotion Review, 2011

Word Count (abstract, text, and refs): 1,498 Word Count (abstract): 58

Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 2007

Abstract Ego-justifying, group-justifying, and system-justifying motivations contribute to base-r... more Abstract Ego-justifying, group-justifying, and system-justifying motivations contribute to base-rate respect. People tend to neglect (and use) base rates when doing so allows them to draw desired conclusions about matters such as their health, the traits of their in-groups, and the fairness of the social system. Such motivations can moderate whether people rely on the rule-based versus associative strategies identified by Barbey & Sloman (B&S).

Cognition, 2011

Researchers have recently argued that utilitarianism is the appropriate framework by which to eva... more Researchers have recently argued that utilitarianism is the appropriate framework by which to evaluate moral judgment, and that individuals who endorse non-utilitarian solutions to moral dilemmas (involving active vs. passive harm) are committing an error. We report a study in which participants responded to a battery of personality assessments and a set of dilemmas that pit utilitarian and non-utilitarian options against each other. Participants who indicated greater endorsement of utilitarian solutions had higher scores on measures of Psychopathy, machiavellianism, and life meaninglessness. These results question the widely-used methods by which lay moral judgments are evaluated, as these approaches lead to the counterintuitive conclusion that those individuals who are least prone to moral errors also possess a set of psychological characteristics that many would consider prototypically immoral.► Participants high in psychopathy gave more utilitarian responses to moral dilemmas. ► Participants with traits indicative of negative moral character were more utilitarian. ► Researchers should not equate utilitarian responses to dilemmas with optimal morality.

Psychological Review, 2003

Three studies demonstrate that people shift their moral principles to rationalize desired judgmen... more Three studies demonstrate that people shift their moral principles to rationalize desired judgments. In Study 1, college students confronted with a footbridge dilemma were more willing to endorse sacrificing an innocent life to save the lives of many when the innocent person was White than when he was Black. In Study 2, political conservatives were more permissive regarding the killing of innocent civilians when the victims were Iraqis, while liberals were more willing to condone the killing of innocents when the victims were American. In Study 3, nonconsciously priming patriotism vs. multiculturalism led participants to shift their moral standards in favor of American forces and Iraqi insurgents, respectively. Implications for the roles of reason and intuition in moral judgment are discussed.

Journal for The Theory of Social Behaviour, 2008

Recent work within psychology demonstrates that unconscious cognition plays a central role in the... more Recent work within psychology demonstrates that unconscious cognition plays a central role in the judgments and actions of individuals. We distinguish between two basic types unconscious social cognition: unconsciousness of the influences on judgments and actions, and unconscious of the mental states (i.e., attitudes and feelings) that give rise to judgments and actions. Influence unconsciousness is corroborated by strong empirical evidence, but unconscious states are difficult to verify. We discuss procedures aimed at providing conclusive evidence of state unconsciousness, and apply them to recent empirical findings.

Chapter 6, pp. 177–201 in Reason and Creativity in Cognitive Development, edited by James Kaufman... more Chapter 6, pp. 177–201 in Reason and Creativity in Cognitive Development, edited by James Kaufman and John Baer. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press.

Journal for The Theory of Social Behaviour, 2000

ABSTRACT Recent work within psychology demonstrates that unconscious cognition plays a central ro... more ABSTRACT Recent work within psychology demonstrates that unconscious cognition plays a central role in the judgments and actions of individuals. We distinguish between two basic types unconscious social cognition: unconsciousness of the influences on judgments and actions, and unconscious of the mental states (ie, attitudes and feelings) that give rise to judgments and actions. Influence unconsciousness is corroborated by strong empirical evidence, but unconscious states are difficult to verify.

Abstract In two large samples (combined N= 31,045), we found a positive relationship between disg... more Abstract In two large samples (combined N= 31,045), we found a positive relationship between disgust sensitivity and political conservatism. This relationship held when controlling for a number of demographic variables as well as the “Big Five” personality traits. Disgust sensitivity was also associated with more conservative voting in the 2008 US presidential election. In Study 2, we replicated the disgust sensitivity–conservatism relationship in an international sample of respondents from 121 different countries.

Yoel Inbar (yoel_inbar@ ksg. harvard. edu) is a post-doctoral researcher in the Decision Science ... more Yoel Inbar (yoel_inbar@ ksg. harvard. edu) is a post-doctoral researcher in the Decision Science Laboratory at Harvard University. His research interests are in the intersection of emotion, decisionmaking, and morality. In practice, that means he spends much of his time thinking of new ways to make people disgusted. You can find out more about Yoel at his web site, http://yoelinbar. net.

Background: The emotion of disgust appears to promote psychological and behavioral avoidance, a d... more Background: The emotion of disgust appears to promote psychological and behavioral avoidance, a dynamic that has significant implications in physical and psychological outcomes in colorectal cancer (CRC). Patients, caregivers, and health professionals alike are all potentially susceptible to responding with disgust and the associated avoidance. Objective: This article aimed to review the early-stage literature related to disgust and CRC, consider the clinical implications, and suggest an appropriate research agenda.

Psychological Science, 2003

An important consideration in judging the blameworthiness (or praiseworthiness) of an action is w... more An important consideration in judging the blameworthiness (or praiseworthiness) of an action is whether the agent had sufficient control over it. In three experiments, we investigated judgments of moral blame and praise elicited when individuals were presented with vignettes describing actions that were performed either carefully and deliberately or impulsively and uncontrollably. Experiment 1 uncovered an asymmetry between judgments of positive versus negative actions--negative impulsive actions elicited a discounting of moral blame, but positive impulsive actions did not elicit a discounting of moral praise. Experiments 2 and 3 showed that this asymmetry arises because individuals judge agents on the basis of their metadesires (the degree to which the agents embrace or reject the impulses leading to their actions). Individuals assume that an agent would embrace an uncontrollable positive impulse, and reject an uncontrollable negative impulse.

Ajob Neuroscience, 2011

There is perhaps no other science (with the possible exception of quantum mechanics) that wreaks ... more There is perhaps no other science (with the possible exception of quantum mechanics) that wreaks havoc on our intuitions the way neuroscience does. The growing knowledge it provides about the inner workings of the brain seems to threaten some of our most deeply held intuitions about how the mind works. Of particular concern to many is that learning how the brain works will necessarily cause us to alter the way we think about human freedom and moral responsibility. If our thoughts and feelings are governed by the same basic laws ...

Recent work in social psychology and experimental philosophy has suggested that moral considerati... more Recent work in social psychology and experimental philosophy has suggested that moral considerations (praise vs. blame) can influence judgments about the intentional status of an act, contradicting both lay and legal assumptions about the relationship between theory of mind and morality. A corollary of this account suggests that different assessments of intentional action should emerge whenever people hold different moral values. Five studies validated this implication. Participants were more likely to report an action as intentionally caused if it lead to a negative side-effect that had strong moral significance to the participant. This pattern was found when looking at differences in participants' protected values (Exepriments 1 & 2), political orientation (Experiments 3 & 4), and gender (Experiment 5). These findings support the claim that moral values can strongly influence lay concepts of intentional action, providing an explanation of how people may arrive at different judgments of intentionality while nevertheless agreeing on the actors state of mind.

Psychological Inquiry, 2012

Psychology of Learning and Motivation, 2009

Moral judgments are important, intuitive, and complex. These factors make moral judgment particul... more Moral judgments are important, intuitive, and complex. These factors make moral judgment particularly fertile ground for motivated reasoning. This chapter reviews research (both our own and that of others) examining two general pathways by which motivational forces can alter the moral implications of an act: by affecting perceptions of an actor's moral accountability for the act, and by influencing the normative moral principles people rely on to evaluate the morality of the act. We conclude by discussing the implications of research on motivated moral reasoning for both classic and contemporary views of the moral thinker.

Emotion, 2012

An induction of disgust can lead to more negative attitudes toward an entire social group: Partic... more An induction of disgust can lead to more negative attitudes toward an entire social group: Participants who were exposed to a noxious ambient odor reported less warmth toward gay men. This effect of disgust was equally strong for political liberals and conservatives, and was specific to attitudes toward gay men-there was only a weak effect of disgust on people's warmth toward lesbians, and no consistent effect on attitudes toward African Americans, the elderly, or a range of political issues.

European Public Law, 2012

Emotion Review, 2011

Word Count (abstract, text, and refs): 1,498 Word Count (abstract): 58

Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 2007

Abstract Ego-justifying, group-justifying, and system-justifying motivations contribute to base-r... more Abstract Ego-justifying, group-justifying, and system-justifying motivations contribute to base-rate respect. People tend to neglect (and use) base rates when doing so allows them to draw desired conclusions about matters such as their health, the traits of their in-groups, and the fairness of the social system. Such motivations can moderate whether people rely on the rule-based versus associative strategies identified by Barbey & Sloman (B&S).

Cognition, 2011

Researchers have recently argued that utilitarianism is the appropriate framework by which to eva... more Researchers have recently argued that utilitarianism is the appropriate framework by which to evaluate moral judgment, and that individuals who endorse non-utilitarian solutions to moral dilemmas (involving active vs. passive harm) are committing an error. We report a study in which participants responded to a battery of personality assessments and a set of dilemmas that pit utilitarian and non-utilitarian options against each other. Participants who indicated greater endorsement of utilitarian solutions had higher scores on measures of Psychopathy, machiavellianism, and life meaninglessness. These results question the widely-used methods by which lay moral judgments are evaluated, as these approaches lead to the counterintuitive conclusion that those individuals who are least prone to moral errors also possess a set of psychological characteristics that many would consider prototypically immoral.► Participants high in psychopathy gave more utilitarian responses to moral dilemmas. ► Participants with traits indicative of negative moral character were more utilitarian. ► Researchers should not equate utilitarian responses to dilemmas with optimal morality.

Psychological Review, 2003

Three studies demonstrate that people shift their moral principles to rationalize desired judgmen... more Three studies demonstrate that people shift their moral principles to rationalize desired judgments. In Study 1, college students confronted with a footbridge dilemma were more willing to endorse sacrificing an innocent life to save the lives of many when the innocent person was White than when he was Black. In Study 2, political conservatives were more permissive regarding the killing of innocent civilians when the victims were Iraqis, while liberals were more willing to condone the killing of innocents when the victims were American. In Study 3, nonconsciously priming patriotism vs. multiculturalism led participants to shift their moral standards in favor of American forces and Iraqi insurgents, respectively. Implications for the roles of reason and intuition in moral judgment are discussed.

Journal for The Theory of Social Behaviour, 2008

Recent work within psychology demonstrates that unconscious cognition plays a central role in the... more Recent work within psychology demonstrates that unconscious cognition plays a central role in the judgments and actions of individuals. We distinguish between two basic types unconscious social cognition: unconsciousness of the influences on judgments and actions, and unconscious of the mental states (i.e., attitudes and feelings) that give rise to judgments and actions. Influence unconsciousness is corroborated by strong empirical evidence, but unconscious states are difficult to verify. We discuss procedures aimed at providing conclusive evidence of state unconsciousness, and apply them to recent empirical findings.

Chapter 6, pp. 177–201 in Reason and Creativity in Cognitive Development, edited by James Kaufman... more Chapter 6, pp. 177–201 in Reason and Creativity in Cognitive Development, edited by James Kaufman and John Baer. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press.

Journal for The Theory of Social Behaviour, 2000

ABSTRACT Recent work within psychology demonstrates that unconscious cognition plays a central ro... more ABSTRACT Recent work within psychology demonstrates that unconscious cognition plays a central role in the judgments and actions of individuals. We distinguish between two basic types unconscious social cognition: unconsciousness of the influences on judgments and actions, and unconscious of the mental states (ie, attitudes and feelings) that give rise to judgments and actions. Influence unconsciousness is corroborated by strong empirical evidence, but unconscious states are difficult to verify.

Abstract In two large samples (combined N= 31,045), we found a positive relationship between disg... more Abstract In two large samples (combined N= 31,045), we found a positive relationship between disgust sensitivity and political conservatism. This relationship held when controlling for a number of demographic variables as well as the “Big Five” personality traits. Disgust sensitivity was also associated with more conservative voting in the 2008 US presidential election. In Study 2, we replicated the disgust sensitivity–conservatism relationship in an international sample of respondents from 121 different countries.

Yoel Inbar (yoel_inbar@ ksg. harvard. edu) is a post-doctoral researcher in the Decision Science ... more Yoel Inbar (yoel_inbar@ ksg. harvard. edu) is a post-doctoral researcher in the Decision Science Laboratory at Harvard University. His research interests are in the intersection of emotion, decisionmaking, and morality. In practice, that means he spends much of his time thinking of new ways to make people disgusted. You can find out more about Yoel at his web site, http://yoelinbar. net.

Background: The emotion of disgust appears to promote psychological and behavioral avoidance, a d... more Background: The emotion of disgust appears to promote psychological and behavioral avoidance, a dynamic that has significant implications in physical and psychological outcomes in colorectal cancer (CRC). Patients, caregivers, and health professionals alike are all potentially susceptible to responding with disgust and the associated avoidance. Objective: This article aimed to review the early-stage literature related to disgust and CRC, consider the clinical implications, and suggest an appropriate research agenda.