Decety Jean, Yoder Keith J
a Department of Psychology , University of Chicago , Chicago , IL , USA.
b Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience , University of Chicago Medicine , Chicago , IL , USA.
Soc Neurosci. 2016;11(1):1-14. doi: 10.1080/17470919.2015.1029593. Epub 2015 Apr 2.
Why do people tend to care for upholding principles of justice? This study examined the association between individual differences in the affective, motivational and cognitive components of empathy, sensitivity to justice, and psychopathy in participants (N 265) who were also asked to rate the permissibility of everyday moral situations that pit personal benefit against moral standards of justice. Counter to common sense, emotional empathy was not associated with sensitivity to injustice for others. Rather, individual differences in cognitive empathy and empathic concern predicted sensitivity to justice for others, as well as the endorsement of moral rules. Psychopathy coldheartedness scores were inversely associated with motivation for justice. Moreover, hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis revealed that self-focused and other-focused orientations toward justice had opposing influences on the permissibility of moral judgments. High scores on psychopathy were associated with less moral condemnation of immoral behavior. Together, these results contribute to a better understanding of the information processing mechanisms underlying justice motivation, and may guide interventions designed to foster justice and moral behavior. In order to promote justice motivation, it may be more effective to encourage perspective taking and reasoning than emphasizing emotional sharing with the misfortune of others.
为什么人们倾向于维护正义原则？本研究调查了参与者（N = 265）的共情的情感、动机和认知成分、对正义的敏感度以及心理变态之间的个体差异，并要求他们对将个人利益与正义道德标准相冲突的日常道德情境的可接受性进行评分。与常识相反，情感共情与对他人不公正的敏感度无关。相反，认知共情和共情关怀的个体差异预测了对他人正义的敏感度以及对道德规则的认可。心理变态冷酷无情得分与正义动机呈负相关。此外，分层多元线性回归分析表明，以自我为中心和以他人为中心的正义取向对道德判断的可接受性有相反的影响。心理变态高分与对不道德行为的道德谴责较少有关。这些结果共同有助于更好地理解正义动机背后的信息处理机制，并可能指导旨在促进正义和道德行为的干预措施。为了促进正义动机，鼓励换位思考和推理可能比强调与他人的不幸进行情感分享更有效。
