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Building bridges to moral reform : Decreasing the majorities’ resistance to a minorities’ message in the face of moral threat

Eggers, J. (2020) Building bridges to moral reform : Decreasing the majorities’ resistance to a minorities’ message in the face of moral threat.

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Abstract:In the field of moral reform, rebellious moral minorities exert substantial effort to gain societal endorsement for their moral message. Going against the grain in the name of their ideals nonetheless demands moral rebels to endure backlash and resistance from an obedient majority. Present research focused on identifying a mechanism that could decrease the majorities’ resistance to a minorities’ message in the face of moral threat. Research was done by studying the reactions against vegans and the message of their moral rebellion. For that, an online survey (N = 113) was conducted. One factor design was chosen using Target Derogation (rating first versus threat first), as the independent variable, to determine its effect on message endorsement. Feelings of moral threat was added as a mediator. Position of the mediator was altered for each condition to contrast the reactions to the moral rebel (i.e. the messenger) and their message. Present findings suggest that the obedient majority remains resistant to the rebel’s message in the face of moral threat. Biting the bullet, moral rebels find their message disregarded. Future research is necessary to identify mechanisms that can determine the endorsement of the moral message and thereby bring moral reform into being.
Item Type:Essay (Bachelor)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:77 psychology
Programme:Psychology BSc (56604)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/82294
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