Moral elevation and moral identity

― A conceptual replication of Study 4 of Aquino et al. (2011) in Japan ―

Abstract

Moral elevation is evoked when individuals witness acts of uncommon moral goodness. It is considered a unique emotion that underlies prosocial contagion, as it promotes prosocial behavior. However, to date, there has been no quantitative research on moral elevation in Japan. Therefore, I conducted a conceptual replication study of Study 4 of Aquino et al. (2011), which examined both the moderator of the experience of elevation and the effect of elevation on prosocial behavior, in Japan. Consistent with the original research, moral identity moderated the experience of moral elevation. Specifically, the tendency for witnessing acts of uncommon goodness to evoke moral elevation was pronounced among individuals with high moral identity. However, contrary to the original research, it was the symbolization (reflecting the degree to which moral traits manifest publicly through a person’s actions), rather than the internalization (reflecting the degree to which moral traits are deeply rooted in the self-concept), that moderated the experience of moral elevation. In addition, witnessing acts of uncommon goodness did not affect prosocial behavior via moral elevation. Based on cultural models of the self, I discuss the possibility that symbolization moderates the experience of moral elevation in Japan. However, it is also possible that the differences in materials or experimental situations caused the divergent results from the original study. Regarding the null effect on prosocial behavior, I discuss the possibility that participants did not experience elevation as strongly as the original study and that the method used to measure prosocial behavior was inadequate. Future research directions are discussed.