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Moral dichotomization at the heart of prejudice : The role of moral foundations and intolerance of ambiguity in generalized prejudice

Forsberg, Erik ; Nilsson, Artur LU and Jörgensen, Öyvind (2019) In Social Psychological and Personality Science 10(8). p.1002-1010
Abstract
This study confronted the classical idea that generalized prejudice is rooted in a cognitive tendency to sort reality into rigid and simple categories with the more recent idea that prejudice is shaped by moral intuitions. In a diverse Swedish sample (N = 430), moral absolutism was more strongly associated with generalized prejudice against derogated and dissident (but not dangerous) groups than were other aspects of intolerance of ambiguity. But there was little direct association between any aspect of intolerance of ambiguity and generalized prejudice once indirect relations through binding moral intuitions (which elevated prejudice) and individualizing moral intuitions (which decreased prejudice) had been taken into account. These... (More)
This study confronted the classical idea that generalized prejudice is rooted in a cognitive tendency to sort reality into rigid and simple categories with the more recent idea that prejudice is shaped by moral intuitions. In a diverse Swedish sample (N = 430), moral absolutism was more strongly associated with generalized prejudice against derogated and dissident (but not dangerous) groups than were other aspects of intolerance of ambiguity. But there was little direct association between any aspect of intolerance of ambiguity and generalized prejudice once indirect relations through binding moral intuitions (which elevated prejudice) and individualizing moral intuitions (which decreased prejudice) had been taken into account. These findings suggest that intolerance of ambiguity is associated with generalized prejudice mainly insofar as it leads to a distinctly moral dichotomization of persons into categories such as insiders and outsiders, law-abiding citizens and deviants, and the righteous and the impure. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
intolerance of ambiguity, moral foundations, generalized prejudice, cognitive style, moral intuitions
in
Social Psychological and Personality Science
volume
10
issue
8
pages
9 pages
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • scopus:85059350272
ISSN
1948-5506
DOI
10.1177/1948550618817347
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
49304387-17bb-4a90-886f-6834446567eb
date added to LUP
2018-12-22 02:04:08
date last changed
2022-04-25 19:45:54
@article{49304387-17bb-4a90-886f-6834446567eb,
  abstract     = {{This study confronted the classical idea that generalized prejudice is rooted in a cognitive tendency to sort reality into rigid and simple categories with the more recent idea that prejudice is shaped by moral intuitions. In a diverse Swedish sample (N = 430), moral absolutism was more strongly associated with generalized prejudice against derogated and dissident (but not dangerous) groups than were other aspects of intolerance of ambiguity. But there was little direct association between any aspect of intolerance of ambiguity and generalized prejudice once indirect relations through binding moral intuitions (which elevated prejudice) and individualizing moral intuitions (which decreased prejudice) had been taken into account. These findings suggest that intolerance of ambiguity is associated with generalized prejudice mainly insofar as it leads to a distinctly moral dichotomization of persons into categories such as insiders and outsiders, law-abiding citizens and deviants, and the righteous and the impure.}},
  author       = {{Forsberg, Erik and Nilsson, Artur and Jörgensen, Öyvind}},
  issn         = {{1948-5506}},
  keywords     = {{intolerance of ambiguity; moral foundations; generalized prejudice; cognitive style; moral intuitions}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{8}},
  pages        = {{1002--1010}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Social Psychological and Personality Science}},
  title        = {{Moral dichotomization at the heart of prejudice : The role of moral foundations and intolerance of ambiguity in generalized prejudice}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1948550618817347}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/1948550618817347}},
  volume       = {{10}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}