Understanding How Moral Judgments Vary Across Cultures: Moderator Effects of Cultural Values, Social Axioms, and Tightness

The tensions between individual rights and the common good have historically shaped law, politics, and public policy. This study explores how cultural factors impact moral judgments worldwide. Focusing on the personal force effect, which refers to how physical involvement in harm influences moral judgments, we analyzed Cultural Value Orientations, Social Axioms, and Tightness as potential moderators of the relationship between personal force and moral judgment. Using two cross-cultural datasets of 23 countries and 57 samples and meta-analytic techniques, we found that people generally view utilitarian actions more favorably when no personal force is required. We also found evidence that the Cultural Value Orientation of Mastery, the Social Axiom of Dynamic Externality, and Tightness moderate moral judgments by reducing the effect of personal force. Despite criticisms of sacrificial dilemmas, these findings underscore the importance of culture in shaping moral judgments worldwide. We suggest further research into realistic dilemmas and emphasize the relevance of these findings for law, politics, and public policy, advocating for informed decision-making in societal debates.