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Why we choose to help fewer over more victims: The prominence effect as an underlying mechanism for saved-lives insensitivity

Lindkvist, Amanda LU and Lundqvist, Kajsa (2018) PSYK11 20181
Department of Psychology
Abstract
The aim of this report was to investigate the prominence effect as an underlying reason for saved-lives insensitivity in moral decision-making. Saved-lives insensitivity, the tendency to help fewer rather than more victims, causes unnecessary suffering. Why this tendency occurs is still unknown, but the prediction of this study was that the prominence effect is an underlying mechanism. The prominence effect refers to the tendency that more attributes perceived as relatively more important influence preferences more when making choices than when asked to match or rate the alternatives.
To test these predictions, two studies were conducted. First a matching-study where the participants read 13 different dilemmas where two helping projects... (More)
The aim of this report was to investigate the prominence effect as an underlying reason for saved-lives insensitivity in moral decision-making. Saved-lives insensitivity, the tendency to help fewer rather than more victims, causes unnecessary suffering. Why this tendency occurs is still unknown, but the prediction of this study was that the prominence effect is an underlying mechanism. The prominence effect refers to the tendency that more attributes perceived as relatively more important influence preferences more when making choices than when asked to match or rate the alternatives.
To test these predictions, two studies were conducted. First a matching-study where the participants read 13 different dilemmas where two helping projects were pitted against each other. One project was superior on a normatively important attribute (i.e. number of patients possible to treat or treatment efficiency) and the other project was superior on another attribute, predicted to be viewed as relatively more prominent. Participants were asked to match the two projects, making them equally attractive. In the second study, participants were asked to choose between the equally attractive projects. The more prominent attribute was predicted to influence preferences more in choice than matching. Our results indicate that victims’ age, sex, innocence and group-belonging, as well as temporal closeness and avoiding causing harm are prominent attributes that can explain saved-lives insensitivity. (Less)
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author
Lindkvist, Amanda LU and Lundqvist, Kajsa
supervisor
organization
course
PSYK11 20181
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
helping behaviour, moral decision-making, prominence effect, saved-lives insensitivity
language
English
additional info
The research project is a part of a larger project led by Arvid Erlandsson from the research group Jedi-lab at Linköping University. The project was financed by Vetenskapsrådet.
id
8945880
date added to LUP
2018-06-20 22:18:09
date last changed
2019-09-17 13:20:29
@misc{8945880,
  abstract     = {{The aim of this report was to investigate the prominence effect as an underlying reason for saved-lives insensitivity in moral decision-making. Saved-lives insensitivity, the tendency to help fewer rather than more victims, causes unnecessary suffering. Why this tendency occurs is still unknown, but the prediction of this study was that the prominence effect is an underlying mechanism. The prominence effect refers to the tendency that more attributes perceived as relatively more important influence preferences more when making choices than when asked to match or rate the alternatives. 
To test these predictions, two studies were conducted. First a matching-study where the participants read 13 different dilemmas where two helping projects were pitted against each other. One project was superior on a normatively important attribute (i.e. number of patients possible to treat or treatment efficiency) and the other project was superior on another attribute, predicted to be viewed as relatively more prominent. Participants were asked to match the two projects, making them equally attractive. In the second study, participants were asked to choose between the equally attractive projects. The more prominent attribute was predicted to influence preferences more in choice than matching. Our results indicate that victims’ age, sex, innocence and group-belonging, as well as temporal closeness and avoiding causing harm are prominent attributes that can explain saved-lives insensitivity.}},
  author       = {{Lindkvist, Amanda and Lundqvist, Kajsa}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Why we choose to help fewer over more victims: The prominence effect as an underlying mechanism for saved-lives insensitivity}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}