Moral Character Is More Than Just Good Deeds

People may instinctively know right from wrong, but determining if someone has good moral character is not a black and white endeavor.

According to new research by University of California Berkeley-Haas School of Business. Prof. Clayton Critcher, people evaluate others’ moral character–being honest, principled, and virtuous–not simply by their deeds, but also by the context that determines how such decisions are made.

Furthermore, the research found that what differentiates the characteristics of moral character — from positive yet nonmoral attributes– is that such qualities are non-negotiable in social relationships.

“Judgments about moral character are ultimately judgments about whether we trust and would be willing to invest in a person,” says Critcher.

Critcher, who studies social psychology in the Haas Marketing Group, writes about his findings in a recent book chapter, “What Do We Evaluate When We Evaluate Moral Character?” co-authored with Erik Helzer of the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. The chapter will soon be published in the Atlas of Moral Psychology, from Guilford Press.

But how do people detect whether good moral character is present? The findings suggest that people can do what is considered the wrong thing but actually be judged more moral for that decision. How?

Imagine a social media company with access to its clients’ personal information and interactions. The government wants access to the user database for terrorist surveillance purposes, but it is up to the CEO to decide whether to violate the company’s privacy code.

Is he considered a more moral person by complying with the request, or by refusing it? Critcher’s work shows that even people who think the CEO should hand over the data to the government consider the CEO to have better moral character if he does the opposite and adheres to the privacy policy.

“For the CEO who sticks to a moral rule–even when we think a deviation could be justified–we are more confident he will behave in sensible, principled ways in the future,” says Critcher.