Anger and perception of unfairness and harm: Cultural differences in normative processes that justify sanction assignment. Issue 1 (11th November 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kwan, Letty Yan‐Yee
• Is Part Of: Asian journal of social psychology. Volume 19:Issue 1(2016)
• Page Start: 6
• Page End: 15
• Publication Date: 2015-11-11
• Subjects: cross‐culture -- moral foundation theory -- morality; Social psychology -- Periodicals; Social psychology -- Asia -- Periodicals; 302.095
• DOI: 10.1111/ajsp.12119
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1367-2223

Abstract

Abstract : Drawing on moral foundation theory, the author found that in response to an infringement of intellectual property rights, both US and Chinese samples reported anger and evaluated the infringement negatively. The results also highlight the importance of considering cultural factors in moral decision‐making. Apparently, in Chinese culture, moral decisions tend to be norm‐based, even when people are assigning sanction to a transgression of the ethics of autonomy. In contrast, in American culture, moral decisions tend to be preference‐based. Furthermore, although people tend to express their anger through punishment and contempt and disgust with social exclusion, in the American context, due to its relatively high mobility, to express their moral anger, individuals prefer to sanction wrongdoing by socially isolating the wrongdoer.