Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Journal

This research examined the effects of induced emotional states on individuals’ moral values endorsements. Participants were induced to feel joy, hope, fear, or anger at either the individual or group level through an event recall task. Subsequently, their endorsements of six moral foundations were measured. Results did not support the hypothesis that joy, hope, fear, or anger, experienced at the individual or group level, would significantly affect moral foundations endorsements. Endorsements of fairness/cheating did not significantly differ from care/harm, which in turn did not differ from liberty/oppression. These three foundations were rated as significantly more relevant than all others.