Understanding Religious Moral Evaluations: 

Group Importance and Anti-Atheist Prejudice

Stiehl, M., Weedman, M., & Tsang, J.-A.

Poster Session C, Exhibit Hall D

12:30-1:30pm MST

Friday, February 21, 2025

Abstract 

While religious individuals tend to be evaluated as more moral than nonreligious individuals, it is unclear whether differences exist in moral judgments on a group level. In a sample of 196 U.S. Christian individuals, we investigated the differences between moral evaluations of the self, a religious ingroup, and religious outgroups. As predicted, the self and religious ingroup were rated as more moral than religious outgroups combined. Differences also existed among judgments of religious outgroups, and atheists were evaluated as the least moral. To investigate the effect of a common ingroup on moral evaluations of a religious outgroup, 349 U.S. Christian individuals were randomly assigned to one of three conditions describing a target person’s religious information (atheist or no information provided) and country of residence (inside or outside the U.S.). The results revealed differences between conditions in moral evaluations of the target, based on whether religious information was provided, but the conditions did not significantly impact moral evaluations of atheists as a group. Within-subject differences replicated Study 1. Implications of moral ratings will be discussed.

Questions?

Contact Miranda Stiehl: Miranda_Stiehl1@Baylor.edu