Divided by morality? Moral foundations of affective polarisation during hard times

Bibliographic Data

ID6353288
AuthorsVictoria Haerter (0009-0000-8156-8244), Maximilian Filsinger (0000-0002-6583-8301), Michel Freitag (0000-0003-2428-0652)
Year2025
Volume45
Issue4
Pages594-615
Publication date2025-11-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePolitics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0032-3268 • E-ISSN: 1467-9256
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/02633957251315046
OpenAlexW4407557960
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited54

In this article, we examine the deeper causes of a key group conflict during the COVID-19 pandemic: attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccination. Extending research on affective polarisation beyond partisanship, we analyse how people perceive the external groups of vaccination supporters and opponents. Furthermore, we investigate how their own moral foundations influence these perceptions. Using six samples from six European countries, our analyses reveal an affective divide between supporters and opponents of COVID-19 vaccinations. Most interestingly and contrary to conventional expectations, we find that individualising rather than binding foundations intensify affective polarisation between pro- and anti-vaccination supporters in all countries. It seems that especially in times of pandemic threat, COVID-19 vaccination supporters and opponents alike feel that their core moral foundations, in particular, fairness are being challenged by their respective out-groups. Our findings could be used to develop depolarisation interventions involving moral framing

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Disease · Framing (construction · Infectious disease (medical specialty · Morality · Pandemic · Perception · Political science · Psychological intervention · Sociology · Cultural Differences and Values · Law · Medicine · Psychology · Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology

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