2026/05/21 by Lewis Nitschinsk, Joshua J. Rhee, Kelly Kirkland +1
Neuroscience · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment #Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion #Social and Intergroup Psychology
paper · doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2026.104732
Moral condemnation can emerge in response to perceived threat. We investigated whether trait threat sensitivity predicts moral condemnation across multiple domains. In Study 1 ( n = 151), avoidance motivation (BIS) was positively associated with general moral condemnation, whereas sensation seeking was negatively associated, even when controlling for social conservatism. Study 2 ( n = 206) replicated these findings, which remained robust after controlling for empathic concern and perspective taking. In Study 3 ( N = 302), BIS predicted greater moral condemnation of harm and sanctity violations indirectly via appraisals of these actions as personally threatening, even when controlling for harm- and disgust-based explanations. A similar mediation pattern emerged for sensation seeking and moral condemnation of sanctity violations but not harm violations.