Immediate affect as a basis for intuitive moral judgement: An adaptation of the affect misattribution procedure

Recent intuitionist accounts have emphasised the role of immediate affective reactions in shaping moral judgement. In two studies, we adopted the affect misattribution procedure (Payne, Cheng, Govorun, Stewart, 2005; JPSP) to assess immediate affective reactions toward moral stimuli. We investigated how immediate moral affect influences guilt experiences in a moral dilemma (Study 1) and emotional reactions and the rejection decision with regard to an unfair monetary offer in the ultimatum game (Study 2). In Study 1, immediate moral affect had a significant effect on anticipated guilt. In Study 2, immediate moral affect had a direct effect on emotional reactions to the unfair offer and an indirect effect on the rejection decision. Moreover, evidence for a moderator effect of preference for intuition was obtained in both studies. Taken together, these results indicate that immediate moral affect can colour people's moral inferences and decisions, especially if they trust their intuitions.