What Drives Our Strong Moral Beliefs?

People often hold certain beliefs very strongly. These beliefs can lead to actions like donating to charity, volunteering, or even engaging in political activities. However, they can also make people less tolerant of others' opinions and more willing to use extreme measures to achieve their goals. But what makes some beliefs feel more moral than others?

The Research

Researchers wanted to understand why some beliefs feel more moral. They thought it might be because these beliefs help people express their personal identity or their social identity.

• Personal identity is about who you see yourself as.
• Social identity is about the groups you belong to.

The Findings

In three different studies, researchers asked people about their beliefs and how strongly they felt about them. They found that:

• The more a belief was tied to personal identity, the more likely it was to be seen as a moral conviction.
• This was true across different topics and in different cultures, including the U.S. and India.

Key Insights

• The social identity aspect did not have the same strong connection to moral conviction.
• Cultural differences did not change these results.
• Whether people saw themselves as independent or interdependent, or whether they valued individualizing or binding moral foundations, it did not affect the link between personal identity and moral conviction.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that our strong moral beliefs are more about our personal identity than our social identity. This could explain why people are so passionate about certain issues and why they can be so resistant to compromise.