Morality’s Centrality to Interpersonal Evaluations of Liking, Respect, and Understanding of Others Anselma Hartley, R.Michael Furr, Kassidy Velasquez, William Fleeson Erik Helzer, & Eranda Jayawickreme Society for Personality and Social Psychology Conference January 30th, 2016

“beauty, truth, awesomeness—that’s all that I am” People’s morality is the thing we care about most when forming impressions. Goodwin et al., 2014; Strohminger & Nichols, 2013; Wojciszke et al., 1998

Purpose of research Do perceptions of a person’s morality have different effects on liking, respect, and knowing that person? How much do we differ in how our perceptions of a person’s morality affect our evaluations? What elements of morality are most important to evaluating a person?

Acquaintance Rating Task PURPOSE STUDY 1: Acquaintance Rating Task STUDY 2: Trait Rating Task 1. Do perceptions of a person’s morality have different effects on liking, respect, and knowing that person? 2. How much do we differ in how our perceptions of a person’s morality affect our evaluations? 3. What elements of morality are most important to evaluating that person?  

Study 1: Ratings of Actual Acquaintances Participants (N=98, Mage=49.50, range=20-80); community sample. Rated 8 actual acquaintances (targets). Completed ratings of: Liking, respect, knowing of each acquaintance (1-5 Likert scale) Acquaintances’ morality, sociability, and competence (1-7 Likert scale) Confidence in ratings of acquaintances’ morality, sociability, and competence (1-7 Likert scale). Addresses question whether “really knowing” someone’s morality makes you know that person in general?

A within-person approach: EX: Are the people participant 15 Likes the people she sees as most moral?

Are the people we like the people we see as most moral? Are the people we respect the people we see as most moral? Are the people we like the people we see as most moral? Are the people we know well the people we think are moral? mean r = .68

Are there Individual differences? liking respect knowing mean r = .68 mean r = .75 mean r = .22

Acquaintance Rating Task PURPOSE STUDY 1: Acquaintance Rating Task STUDY 2: Trait Rating Task 1. Do perceptions of a person’s morality have different effects on liking, respect, and knowing that person? We like and respect those we see as moral. Knowing someone’s morality predicted knowing that person in general. 2. How much do we differ in how our perceptions of a person’s morality affect our evaluations? We do differ, moderately. 3. What elements of morality are most important to evaluating that person?   Revisiting our purposes, we found that… ? 

Study 2: Ratings of Traits Important to Evaluation Participants (same N = 98) completed three Q-sorts. Liking and Respect Q-sorts: Rated how characteristic traits are of someone they like (or respect). Contained 60 traits (moral, competence, control). “Honest. Is this characteristic of someone you would like?” 1=extremely uncharacteristic; 9=extremely characteristic. Forced choice. Knowing Q-sort: Ex: “Honest. How informative would this be to feeling like you know someone?” 1=not at all informative; 6=extremely informative.

Study 2: Ratings of Traits Important to Evaluation Also obtained independent ratings of the 60 traits on: Morality. Competence. Each of the Big Five.

A Within-person approach: are the traits participant 1 considers likeable the traits that are most moral? r = .71

are the traits we consider likeable the traits that are most moral?

are the traits we consider Respectable the traits that are most moral?

Are the traits we consider informative to knowing someone the traits that are most moral?

Are there individual differences? Liking Respect Knowing mean r = .68 mean r = .69 mean r = .37

What are the elements of morality most important to evaluation?

Summary Evaluation and Understanding: Individual Differences: Morality is equally important to liking and respect; less important knowing. Individual Differences: Morality is not equally important to everyone. But who… and why? Moral Traits: Honesty, fairness, kindness, and compassion especially important. What does this say about what we look for in others?

Thank you! www.AnselmaHartley.com Acknowledgements: Contributors to this work: Maxwell Barranti Kathleen Stimely, Ashley Hawkins, Kate Nichols The John Templeton Foundation (JTF Grant 15519) Templeton World Charity Foundation (Grant 0070/AB44) The Templeton Religion Trust The opinions expressed in this talk are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTF, TWCF, and TRT.