Blind ethics: Closing one’s eyes polarizes moral judgments and discourages dishonest behavior

Four experiments demonstrate that closing one’s eyes affects ethical judgment and behavior because it induces people to mentally simulate events more extensively. People who considered situations with their eyes closed rather than open judged immoral behaviors as more unethical and moral behaviors a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cognition 2011-02, Vol.118 (2), p.280-285
Main Authors: Caruso, Eugene M., Gino, Francesca
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Affective Behavior
Behavioural psychology
Biological and medical sciences
Closed eyes
Decision Making
Decision Making - ethics
Emotions
Ethics
Experiments
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Human Body
Humans
Imagination
Judgement
Judgment
Mental simulation
Miscellaneous
Moral Values
Morality
Morals
Psychological effects
Psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Simulation
Social judgement
Social psychology
Visual Perception
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Summary:Four experiments demonstrate that closing one’s eyes affects ethical judgment and behavior because it induces people to mentally simulate events more extensively. People who considered situations with their eyes closed rather than open judged immoral behaviors as more unethical and moral behaviors as more ethical. In addition, considering potential decisions with closed eyes decreased stated intentions to behave ethically and actual self-interested behavior. This relationship was mediated by the more extensive mental simulation that occurred with eyes closed rather than open, which, in turn, intensified emotional reactions to the ethical situation. We discuss the implications of these findings for moral psychology and ethical decision making.
ISSN:0010-0277
1873-7838
DOI:10.1016/j.cognition.2010.11.008