Andrej Simic, Simona Sacchi, & Marco Perugini
Future self-continuity increases concerns for individualizing moral foundations
Contact at: a.simic@unimib.it
Self-perceptions over time considerably affect decision-making in different domains, including the health and economic sphere. In this contribution, we investigate the relation between future self-continuity, the extent one feels connected to their future self, and responsible and ethical behavior in the present. Specifically, the work aims to explore if perceived similarity to the future self increases the consideration of individualizing moral foundations. In Study 1, we found correlational evidence that future self-similarity is positively related to concerns about harm and justice (individualizing moral foundations) and unrelated to authority, loyalty, and purity (binding moral foundations). The effect was moderated by social self-esteem. Study 2 provides causal evidence that future self-similarity increases concerns about individualizing moral foundations. Participants that engaged in the experimental tasks were more concerned about individualizing moral foundations than their control counterparts. The experimental effect was mediated by future self-similarity. Study 3 was conducted to test the mediation effect of state-level moral identity centrality. The results supported our hypothesis that the future self-continuity manipulation will affect individualizing moral foundations through higher levels of future self-continuity and the importance of the moral self. Our results suggest that being able to project oneself to the future mentally might lead to a greater deliberation of other people鈥檚 rights and safety.
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