Title |
The Moral Stereotypes of Liberals and Conservatives: Exaggeration of Differences across the Political Spectrum
|
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Published in |
PLOS ONE, December 2012
|
DOI | 10.1371/journal.pone.0050092 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Jesse Graham, Brian A. Nosek, Jonathan Haidt |
Abstract |
We investigated the moral stereotypes political liberals and conservatives have of themselves and each other. In reality, liberals endorse the individual-focused moral concerns of compassion and fairness more than conservatives do, and conservatives endorse the group-focused moral concerns of ingroup loyalty, respect for authorities and traditions, and physical/spiritual purity more than liberals do. 2,212 U.S. participants filled out the Moral Foundations Questionnaire with their own answers, or as a typical liberal or conservative would answer. Across the political spectrum, moral stereotypes about "typical" liberals and conservatives correctly reflected the direction of actual differences in foundation endorsement but exaggerated the magnitude of these differences. Contrary to common theories of stereotyping, the moral stereotypes were not simple underestimations of the political outgroup's morality. Both liberals and conservatives exaggerated the ideological extremity of moral concerns for the ingroup as well as the outgroup. Liberals were least accurate about both groups. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 60 | 23% |
Spain | 14 | 5% |
United Kingdom | 9 | 3% |
Canada | 4 | 2% |
Brazil | 4 | 2% |
Netherlands | 2 | <1% |
Sweden | 2 | <1% |
El Salvador | 2 | <1% |
Australia | 2 | <1% |
Other | 19 | 7% |
Unknown | 148 | 56% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 236 | 89% |
Scientists | 15 | 6% |
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 11 | 4% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 4 | 2% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 8 | 2% |
Spain | 2 | <1% |
Sweden | 1 | <1% |
Switzerland | 1 | <1% |
Brazil | 1 | <1% |
Luxembourg | 1 | <1% |
Unknown | 365 | 96% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Ph. D. Student | 91 | 24% |
Student > Master | 58 | 15% |
Student > Bachelor | 45 | 12% |
Researcher | 28 | 7% |
Professor | 22 | 6% |
Other | 75 | 20% |
Unknown | 60 | 16% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Psychology | 145 | 38% |
Social Sciences | 71 | 19% |
Philosophy | 15 | 4% |
Business, Management and Accounting | 13 | 3% |
Arts and Humanities | 11 | 3% |
Other | 54 | 14% |
Unknown | 70 | 18% |