Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Berman JZ
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7549286 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Berman Jonathan Z JZ Kupor Daniella D
Psychological science 20200908 10
Past research suggests that actors often seek to minimize harm at the cost of maximizing social welfare. However, this prior research has confounded a desire to minimize the negative impact caused by one's actions (harm aversion) with a desire to avoid causing any harm whatsoever (harm avoidance). Across six studies (<i>N</i> = 2,152), we demonstrate that these two motives are distinct. When decision-makers can completely avoid committing a harmful act, they strongly prefer to do so. However, ha ...[more]