Abstract:
Previous investigations have identified two temporal asymmetry effects (TAEs) in moralevaluations. Specifically, future transgressions are often seen as more morally reprehensiblethan past transgressions (Caruso, 2010). In addition, temporally distant transgressions tend toelicit a more extreme moral response than identical behaviours that are proximal to the present,be it in the future or past temporal domains (Eyal et al., 2008). However, this area of work hasnot fully detailed the variables that mediate these TAEs and has often neglected the impact ofculture. As such the aim of the current study is to address these oversights by replicating thesetwo TAEs in the moral domain and identify their accompanying mediators. Furthermore, itaims to assess whether cross-cultural difference in temporal focus would influence the TAE inmoral evaluations of future and past transgressions. The results did not reveal the predictedeffects. However, a visual examination of the means from each temporal condition doesprovide some tentative support for the TAEs in moral evaluations. Possible explanations forthese null findings were outlined and the implications of these results are detailed.
