The psychological foundations and consequences of moral conviction

• Moral convictions are perceived as similarly true and universal as scientific facts.
• Moral convictions are associated with increased political engagement.
• Moral conviction predicts social and physical distance from attitudinally dissimilar others.
• Moral convictions inoculate people from authority dictates and social influence.
• Moral convictions predict resistance to compromise and acceptance of violent solutions.

Moral conviction refers to a meta-cognitive belief that a given position is based on one's core moral beliefs and convictions. Attitudes that are high in moral conviction (‘moral mandates’) differ from equally strong but non-moral attitudes in a host of ways. Among other things, stronger moral convictions are associated with (a) believing that one's attitude is more universally applicable and objectively true, (b) greater political engagement (e.g., voting, political activism), (c) greater preferred social and physical distance from those who disagree, (d) increase resistance to compromise, (e) inoculation from the usual pressures to obey authorities and the law, and (f) increased acceptance of violent solutions to conflict. Implications are discussed.