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moral psychology
You judge people by their intent, not their results.
People perceive harmful actions as less malicious if they believe the actor had a good initial motive.
A 2007 study found that when individuals were presented with identical negative outcomes, they were significantly more forgiving if they were told the agent intended to reach a positive goal. We prioritize the mental state of the actor over the physical reality of the harm.
The moral weight you assign to an event depends on a story you construct.
Where this comes from
- Study
- Ames & Johar, 2007, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- What the check found
- The cited study by Ames and Johar (2007) in JPSP specifically demonstrates that perceived motives for negative outcomes significantly alter the observer's moral evaluation of the actor.
- Confidence
- Well replicated
Related
One of these every day, and every one names the study it came from. When a finding is contested, it says so.