Inferences about the morality of an aggressor: The role of perceived motive.

Abstract

The research investigated perceivers' inferences about the morality of target persons who engaged in aggressive behavior. Across several experiments, inferences about the morality of an aggressor were based more on the perceived motives of the target than on the presence of facilitating situational forces. For example, when a target's aggression was facilitated by personal rewards for aggression (instrumental aggression), perceivers inferred more negative motives and attributed lower morality to the target than when the target's aggression was facilitated by situational provocation (reactive aggression). The results suggest that perceived motives play an important role in dispositional inference and pose a problem for models that focus primarily on perceived causality, assumptions about base rates (consensus), or diagnosticity. Although most people disapprove of aggression, judgments about the morality of aggression may be highly context dependent. Imagine a crowded bar room in which Jenkins and Jane are deep in conversation. A loud, inebriated bully makes a disparaging remark about Jane. Jenkins gets up and pushes the bully out of his chair. Now imagine a different scenario. Melvin and his pal, Richey, have been standing behind other patrons at the back of a crowded bar room, straining to catch a glimpse of their favorite band. Richey pulls out a crisp $100 bill and offers it to Melvin if he can find a spot for him to sit down. Melvin walks toward the front of the bar, pushes an unsuspecting patron out of his chair, and motions for his friend to take the seat. Neither Jenkins nor Melvin is likely to win a good citizenship award. Yet intuition suggests that there is something more sinister about Melvin's actions.