Viewing cute pictures can influence judgment of moral transgressions

Abstract

Previous studies have shown exposure to something cute affects moral tendencies and prosocial behaviors, but how it affects people's moral judgment is still unknown. This study examines the effect of cuteness exposure on the judgment of morally transgressive events and explores the moderating effect of the moral transgressor's socioeconomic status. In Experiment 1, we find that individuals judged moral transgression incidents more harshly after viewing cute images. Experiment 2 examined whether the socioeconomic status of moral transgressors moderates the effect. The results revealed that when cuteness was primed, individuals were more tolerant of the advantaged than the disadvantaged, and made harsher moral judgments about the disadvantaged. In summary, the findings suggest that exposure to cute stimuli can enhance individuals’ moral sense and thus lead to harsher moral judgments. This effect is more pronounced when transgressors have low socioeconomic status.