Citation

Adams GS, O'Connor KS, Belmi P. Curr. Opin. Psychol. 2021; 44: 177-181.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.09.006

PMID

34688999

Abstract

Moral judgments about interpersonal transgressions are shaped by attributions about the actor's mental state (intent), responsibility, and harmful consequences. Curiously, most research has investigated these judgments from a third-party perspective, often overlooking perceptions of the individuals directly involved in the transgression. We address this by reviewing research on how victims and transgressors involved in interpersonal transgressions form judgments about the transgressor's intent, responsibility, and how much harm was caused, and the ways in which victims' and transgressors' judgments diverge from one another. Our review indicates that both cognitive biases and motivation-based differences give rise to asymmetries. We argue that future research could investigate not only social perceptions but also meta-perceptions and that a better understanding of the content and causes of divergent interpersonal perceptions in this domain will lead to a more complete understanding of how to resolve conflicts.

Language: en

Keywords

Moral judgment; Blame; Intent; Interpersonal transgressions; Moral wrongdoing; Victim-transgressor asymmetries