Morality and Prosociality

Our research in Morality and Prosociality examines the psychological and social mechanisms that drive moral behavior and promote prosocial actions within groups. We focus on how moral emotions, such as the negative affect triggered by witnessing antisocial behavior, motivate individuals to share reputational information, thereby discouraging selfishness and fostering cooperation. Additionally, we explore how emotion regulation strategies, like reappraisal, shape moral judgments by influencing the balance between intuition and deliberate reasoning. Our work also investigates the process of moralization, where neutral behaviors become morally charged, and how this transformation is influenced by cognitive and emotional factors. Furthermore, we analyze how compassion can be maintained in challenging environments, such as among correctional officers, and the consequences of organizations using sacred values for self-interest, which can undermine those very values. Lastly, we study how attributing resilience to social support fosters greater compassion for others facing adversity, highlighting the role of relational attributions in prosocial behavior. Through these investigations, we aim to understand the complex interplay of factors that shape moral and prosocial outcomes. 

Sample Publications

Relational attributions for one’s own resilience predict compassion for others.

Ruttan, R. L., Zhang, T., Barli, S. B., & DeCelles, K. A. (2024). Relational attributions for one’s own resilience predict compassion for others. Journal of personality and social psychology.

Instrumental use erodes sacred values.

Ruttan, R., & Nordgren, L. F. (2021). Instrumental use erodes sacred values. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 121 (6), 1223

Compassion in the clink: When and how human services workers overcome barriers to care. 

DeCelles, K. A., & Anteby, M. (2020). Compassion in the clink: When and how human services workers overcome barriers to care. Organization Science, 31(6), 1408-1431.

Understanding the process of moralization: How eating meat becomes a moral issue.

Feinberg, M., Kovacheff, C., Teper, R., & Inbar, Y. (2019). Understanding the process of moralization: How eating meat becomes a moral issue. Journal of personality and social psychology, 117(1), 50.

Liberating reason from the passions: Overriding intuitionist moral judgments through emotion reappraisal. 

Feinberg, M., Willer, R., Antonenko, O, & John, O. P. (2012). Liberating reason from the passions: Overriding intuitionist moral judgments through emotion reappraisal. Psychological science 23 (7), 788-795

The virtues of gossip: reputational information sharing as prosocial behavior.

Feinberg, M., Willer, R., Stellar, J., & Keltner, D. (2012). The virtues of gossip: reputational information sharing as prosocial behavior. Journal of personality and social psychology 102 (5), 1015