Study of Motivations Associated with Moral Judgment of Black and White People

• Grant number: 25/00768-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Experimental Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Paulo Sérgio Boggio
• Grantee: Bianca Picorallo Palotta
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (UPM). Instituto Presbiteriano Mackenzie. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Social categorization is the process through which human beings group themselves and others based on characteristics such as physical traits, geographical location, and blood ties. Through categorization, we distinguish between ingroups and outgroups, often exhibiting biases that favor our own group, such as the racial group to which we belong. Racial bias can influence an individual's beliefs, actions, and judgments. This process facilitates the creation of stereotypes-general characteristics attributed to groups to simplify complex relationships-which, when associated with historical and cultural issues, lead to racial discrimination, a differential treatment of individuals based on the racial group to which they belong. Previous studies have demonstrated that Black and White individuals are judged differently. However, there are conflicting results in research linking racial bias and moral judgment. The present project aims to understand the motivations associated with these differences, using a quantitative and qualitative approach. Participants will engage in a Moral Judgment Task, where they will evaluate the moral wrongness of actions committed by Black and White individuals, and a Motivation for Judgment Questionnaire, which will assess relevant factors influencing their judgments. Data will be collected online and remotely from 300 White and Black participants in Brazil and 300 in the United States."