Just Thinking About Science Triggers Moral Behavior

ananyo writes "The association between science and morality is so ingrained that merely thinking about it can trigger more moral behavior, according to a study by researchers at the University of California Santa Barbara. The researchers hypothesized that there is a deep-seated perception of science as a moral pursuit — its emphasis on truth-seeking, impartiality and rationality privileges collective well-being above all else. The researchers conducted four separate studies to test this. In the first, participants read a vignette of a date-rape and were asked to rate the 'wrongness' of the offense before answering a questionnaire measuring their belief in science. Those reporting greater belief in science condemned the act more harshly. In the other three, participants primed with science-related words were more altruistic."

Comments

These people don't know how to conduct a study

[Karmashock]

Simply using scientific language isn't exactly science. It could rather be going after specificity. If you prime me with a bunch of IF/THEN TRUE/FALSE terms and then ask if something is wrong I'm going to be more inclined to give a more literal and less nuanced opinion.

For example, is it wrong to feed the bears? Of course it is... its against the rules, encourages the bears to see humans as a food source, and makes them less inclined to gather food from the wild. So... its wrong. But at the same time its not especially immoral.

If you prime me with true false information I'll just say its wrong. But if you expand the point there might be more going on there.

I don't think science has anything especially to do with morality. It does have a great deal to do with truth seeking but its truth seeking for its own sake and not some higher calling. That is not to say scientist are not moral people or that they're not helping humanity. Merely that there is no causal link between morality and science.

Re:Their definition of "Moral" is the problem.

[Anonymous Coward]

Our basic nature is to breed. We can follow that or grow up.

The fundamental duty of all living things is to recreate themselves. After you do, something changes inside you that causes you to realize that you're not the center of the universe. That's called "Growing Up".

If you haven't bred yet, you're still a child. You shouldn't be allowed to vote, any more than any other mewling babe.

That is the biggest BS I have read in a while. There are plenty of people that have bred multiple times and yet to grow up or actual act like adults or they let their kids run wild (being non-responsible towards their kids because they are selfish as parents.)

Re:I hypothesize..

[bberens]

Interestingly enough Republicans care a LOT about the economy and historically provide greater funding to the sciences than Democrats because of it. There are a few obvious exceptions like embryonic stem cell research that make headlines but by and large Republicans provide more funding to science. If you don't want to take my word for it youtube search for Neil DeGrasse Tyson talking about it.