Different Types of Stress Alter Moral Attitude Towards Outgroup Members

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Abstract

We have examined moral attitudes towards outgroup members of people in diff erent types of stress conditions. Participants (N = 86) solved moral dilemmas based on aggressor-ingroup member and victim-outgroup member oppositions. Th e comparison of the present research data with previous ones conducted on children reveals statistically signifi cant regression to early “childish” forms of be-havior in moral choice situations, namely the preference by adults for the strategy of supporting an ingroup member even if he acts unfairly. Th ere are no signifi cant diff erences in behavior of people in diff erent types of stress. Reversible increasing of low-diff erentiated systems to support behavior(i.e. system dediff erentiation) is common for stressful situation.

General Information

Keywords: system-evolutionary approach, system dedifferentiation, stress, moral choice, moral dilemma, attitude toward outgroup members

Journal rubric: 20th International Scientific Conference “Psychology of the 21st Century: Russian

Funding. This work was supported by Russian Science Foundation Grant No 14-28-00229, Institute of Psychology RAS.

For citation: Znamenskaya I.I., Alexandrov Y.I. Different Types of Stress Alter Moral Attitude Towards Outgroup Members. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Psychology, 2016. Vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 159–167. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)

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Information About the Authors

Irina I. Znamenskaya, Associate Researcher at The V. B. Shvyrkov Laboratory of Psychophysiology, Institute of Psychology RAS, Psychologist, Charity Foundation “Light in Hands”, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4021-9843, e-mail: znamenirina@gmail.com

Yuri I. Alexandrov, Doctor of Psychology, Head the Laboratory of the Institute of Psychology RAS and Head. the Department of Psychophysiology State University of Humanitarian Sciences, Institute of Psychology Russian Academy of Science, head Laboratory of Neurocognitive Research of Individual Experience, Moscow State Psychological and Pedagogical University (FSBEI HE MGPPU), Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Education. Member of the editorial board of the scientific journal "Experimental Psychology", Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2644-3016, e-mail: yuraalexandrov@yandex.ru

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