Universität zu Köln

Waytz, Adam and Hofmann, Wilhelm (2020). Nudging the Better Angels of Our Nature: A Field Experiment on Morality and Well-Being. Emotion, 20 (5). S. 904 - 910. WASHINGTON: AMER PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOC. ISSN 1931-1516

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Abstract

A field experiment examines how moral behavior, moral thoughts, and self-benefiting behavior affect daily well-being. Using experience sampling technology, we randomly grouped participants over 10 days to either behave morally, have moral thoughts, or do something positive for themselves. Participants received treatment-specific instructions in the morning of 5 days and no instructions on the other 5 control days. At each day's end, participants completed measures that examined, among others, subjective well-being, self-perceived morality and empathy, and social isolation and closeness. Full analyses found limited evidence for treatment- versus control-day differences. However, restricting analyses to occasions on which participants complied with instructions revealed treatment- versus control-day main effects on all measures, while showing that self-perceived morality and empathy toward others particularly increased in the moral deeds and moral thoughts group. These findings suggest that moral behavior, moral thoughts, and self-benefiting behavior are all effective means of boosting well-being, but only moral deeds and, perhaps surprisingly, also moral thoughts strengthen the moral self-concept and empathy. Results from an additional study assessing laypeople's predictions suggest that people do not fully intuit this pattern of results.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Waytz, Adam UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Hofmann, Wilhelm UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-325215
DOI:	10.1037/emo0000588
Journal or Publication Title:	Emotion
Volume:	20
Number:	5
Page Range:	S. 904 - 910
Date:	2020
Publisher:	AMER PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOC
Place of Publication:	WASHINGTON
ISSN:	1931-1516
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language BEHAVIOR; HAPPINESS; OTHERS; LIFE Multiple languages Psychology, Experimental Multiple languages
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/32521