Universität zu Köln

Roth, Kiara and Kaspar, Kai ORCID: 0000-0002-5092-6798 (2021). When company decisions harm or help the environment: the influence of social context and affective state on moral and causal responsibility attributions. Curr. Psychol.. pp. 1-15. NEW YORK: SPRINGER. ISSN 1936-4733

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Abstract

Holding companies accountable for their decisions' environmental side effects becomes increasingly important in the light of current debates on the climate crisis. The present study investigated a young sample's (n = 925) causal and moral responsibility attributions to a company's manager and their subordinate employee, who were either young or middle-aged. The agents jointly made a profit-oriented decision which either harmed or helped the environment. Results were analyzed with respect to the valence of the side effect, the agents' social role, the agents' age group, and participants' affective state. We successfully replicated findings from prior studies, showing that more intention and moral responsibility is ascribed to the manager in case of a negative side effect than in case of a positive side effect, and that the manager deserves more blame for negative side effects than the employee, whereas the employee deserves more praise for positive side effects. Additionally, responsibility attributions varied with the agents' age group, participants' positive and negative affective state, and participants' gender. By incorporating these hitherto neglected factors, the study complements existing theories of responsibility attribution and intergroup perception. The findings further highlight the contribution of affective mechanisms as driving factors of responsibility attributions. Combining moral responsibility research, intergroup research, and affective measures promises to foster the understanding of how and to whom people ascribe blame, praise, and causal responsibility for environmental consequences.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Roth, Kiara UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Kaspar, Kai UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0002-5092-6798 UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-571275
DOI:	10.1007/s12144-021-01915-0
Journal or Publication Title:	Curr. Psychol.
Page Range:	pp. 1-15
Date:	2021
Publisher:	SPRINGER
Place of Publication:	NEW YORK
ISSN:	1936-4733
Language:	English
Faculty:	Faculty of Human Sciences
Divisions:	Faculty of Human Sciences > Department Psychologie Weitere Institute, Arbeits- und Forschungsgruppen > Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für empirische LehrerInnen- und Unterrichtsforschung (IZeF)
Subjects:	Psychology
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language GROUP HOMOGENEITY; INGROUP HOMOGENEITY; GENDER-DIFFERENCES; CULPABLE CONTROL; NEGATIVE AFFECT; IN-GROUP; BLAME; JUDGMENTS; INTENTIONALITY; PERCEPTIONS Multiple languages Psychology, Multidisciplinary Multiple languages
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/57127