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To Strengthen an Opinion, Simply Say it is Based On Morality

posted by martyb on Thursday June 02 2016, @10:37AM   
from the I'm-morally-opposed-to-statements-about-morality dept.

Phoenix666 writes:

Simply telling people that their opinions are based on morality will make them stronger and more resistant to counterarguments, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that people were more likely to act on an opinion - what psychologists call an attitude - if it was labeled as moral and were more resistant to attempts to change their mind on that subject.

The results show why appeals to morality by politicians and advocacy groups can be so effective, said Andrew Luttrell, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in psychology at The Ohio State University.

"The perception that an attitude we hold is based on morality is enough to strengthen it," Luttrell said.

"For many people, morality implies a universality, an ultimate truth. It is a conviction that is not easily changed."

The key finding was how easy it was to strengthen people's beliefs by using the 'moral' label, said Richard Petty, co-author of the study and professor of psychology at Ohio State.

"Morality can act as a trigger - you can attach the label to nearly any belief and instantly make that belief stronger," Petty said.

Always preface your comments with, "The Lord sayeth..."

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Original Submission

• Re:Morality != religion (Score: 2) by darnkitten on Friday June 03 2016, @03:03AM

  by darnkitten (1912) on Friday June 03 2016, @03:03AM (#354330)

  - Don't kill anybody in your own society. (There's no equivalent rule for those jerks from other societies, though.)

  ...unless they deserve it.

  - Take care of children, at least once you know they won't be dead within their first year of life.

  ...unless they are exploitable, an economic or societal drain, inconvenient, or someone else's.

  - Take care of yourself if you are capable of doing so.

  ...unless someone of higher status compels you to do otherwise, or unless you can compel someone of lower status to do it for you.

  - Be basically honest with those in your own society. (Again, tricking those jerks from other societies may be OK.)

  ...unless they are of a lower status to you; or unless it is an obligation, economically or societally advantageous, convenient or undetectable.

  - Respect the elderly, even if you don't heed their advice.

  ...unless they are exploitable, an economic or societal drain, inconvenient, or someone else's.

  - Don't bang your relatives. (Who exactly qualifies as a relative varies a bit, but immediate family is obviously out.)

  ...unless it is an obligation; economically or societally advantageous, convenient or undetectable.

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  FTFUniversality--references available upon request--or, unfortunately, unnecessary with a fair knowledge of world history and society in general :(

  Parent

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