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   People change their moral values to benefit themselves over others   
   Date:   
   October 30, 2014   
   Source:   
   Stony Brook University   
      
      
   According to an old adage, if someone tells you "it's not about the money but   
   the principle," chances are it is about the money. A new study published in   
   the Proceedings of the Royal Society B finds that people are quick to change   
   their moral values    
   depending on which rule means more cash for them instead of others.   
   The study, titled "Equity or equality? Moral judgments follow the money," was   
   conducted by Peter DeScioli, an Assistant Professor in Department of Political   
   Science at Stony Brook University and Associate Director of the Center for   
   Behavioral Political    
   Economy, and colleagues.   
      
   "Previous research emphasizes people's personalities, genes, and upbringing as   
   the main source of moral values and disagreements about morality," said   
   DeScioli. "We found that people also adjust their moral values depending on   
   which principle benefits    
   them the most. Our moral principles are more flexible and self-serving than we   
   would like to admit."   
      
   In the study, participants worked in pairs to transcribe a paragraph for a   
   cash reward. One participant was the Typist who transcribed three paragraphs   
   and the other was the Checker who transcribed one paragraph, selected randomly   
   from the Typist's    
   paragraphs. If the two partners' transcriptions matched, then they together   
   earned a cash reward. Crucially, it was up to the Typist to decide how to   
   divide this reward money.   
      
   The Typist could divide the money evenly, 50% each, or according to the work   
   each person did, 75% for the Typist who transcribed three paragraphs and 25%   
   for the Checker who transcribed one paragraph. Most Typists in this situation   
   took the larger share    
   of the pie, consistent with self-interest.   
   But it wasn't only the Typists' choices that were self-interested.   
   Participants also rated the morality and fairness of each division rule:   
   equality (equal payoffs) or equity (payoffs proportional to work). These moral   
   judgments, too, were self-   
   interested. Participants assigned to be Typists thought equity was more fair   
   and moral, whereas participants assigned to be Checkers thought equality was   
   more fair and moral.   
      
   Moreover, when the researchers measured moral values before and after   
   participants were assigned to roles, people were caught in the act: Their   
   moral values changed in a few minutes to favor the rule that gave them a   
   larger share of the money.   
      
   DeScioli points out that the finding translates to many situations in which   
   people need to divvy up resources such as family members dividing an estate,   
   business partners dividing profits, citizens deciding how tax dollars will be   
   spent, or nations    
   dividing territory.   
      
   "Our selfishness does, however, have some limits," emphasized DeScioli. In the   
   last experiment, the researchers removed the justification for an unequal   
   division by asking both partners to transcribe one paragraph. In this   
   scenario, most Typists (78%)    
   shared the reward equally rather than taking the larger share. And, Typists no   
   longer shifted their moral judgments in the self-interested direction.   
      
   The researchers conclude that the "Pursuit of self-interest is tempered,   
   however, by the constraints of coordination. People seek not only to benefit   
   themselves but also to persuade other people that they are morally right in   
   doing so."   
      
   Story Source:   
   The above story is based on materials provided by Stony Brook University.   
   Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.   
      
   Journal Reference:   
   P. DeScioli, M. Massenkoff, A. Shaw, M. B. Petersen, R. Kurzban. Equity or   
   equality? Moral judgments follow the money. Proceedings of the Royal Society   
   B: Biological Sciences, 2014; 281 (1797): 20142112 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.2112   
      
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   Stony Brook University. "People change their moral values to benefit   
   themselves over others." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 30 October 2014.    
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