Power and moral dilemma judgments: Distinct effects of memory recall versus social roles

Abstract

Counter to the lay belief that power corrupts people's sense of morality, social psychological theories suggest that the effects of power on moral judgment are rather complex and multifaceted. To test competing predictions derived from these theories, five experiments used the CNI model to investigate whether power affects responses to moral dilemmas by influencing (1) sensitivity to morally relevant consequences, (2) sensitivity to moral norms, or (3) general action tendencies regardless of consequences and norms. Results showed that recalling a personal experience involving high (vs. low) power decreased sensitivity to moral norms (Experiments 1a, 1b, 3). Being assigned to a social role involving high (vs. low) power had inconsistent effects across studies (Experiments 2a, 2b, 3), showing increased sensitivity to moral norms in an integrative data analysis. The findings support calls for more nuanced theoretical accounts that specify how psychological and structural aspects of power differentially influence behavior.