How to be Good: An Exploration of the Moral Circle and its Relationship with Wealth and Individualism

这个项目的目标是探索利他主义动机、财富和意识形态个人主义之间的关系。它包括三个部分：第一部分：道德圈从道德圈（我们认为值得道德考虑的群体）的角度对利他行为的潜在动机进行跨学科探索。目的：形成一个逻辑上连贯的、经验上支持的道德圈概念。RQ：在利他主义研究中应该如何理解和衡量道德圈？方法：使用“moral”、“circle”、“expansionness”等关键词，对可访问的哲学和心理学数据库中的文章和书籍进行系统的文献检索。相关材料将被仔细阅读和批判性分析，以达到合乎逻辑的和经验证明的道德圈的概念，适合利他主义的研究。我将考虑现有措施的有效性，如果圈子大小是特征或状态，以及什么构成道德圈子成员。第二部分：利他主义的社会生活一项使用话语分析的定性访谈研究来考察利他主义者如何谈论他们的道德行为和他们自己。目的：探讨利他主义者建构自我认同、道德和利他行为的方式。RQ1：利他主义者是如何建构利他主义和自我认同的？这与社会规范不同吗？RQ2：利他主义者是如何构建他们利他行为的动机的？这些结构是如何使用的，它们的使用是否受到意识形态的影响？RQ3：这些结构告诉我们个人成本在利他主义中的作用是什么？方法：从财富独立、非政治和匿名利他行为四组中招募英国利他主义者的有目的机会样本。未指明的器官捐献者COVID-19志愿者因公益事业而冒着被捕风险的人从事自发英雄主义行为的人（例如，冲动救生，道德罢工）每组招募10名参与者，总数n=~40。参与者将接受关于他们的身份、动机和利他主义的半结构化访谈。分析将遵循批判话语心理学的原则。第3部分。财富、个人主义与道德圈：一项调查财富、个人主义与利他动机之间关系的被试调查研究。目的：探讨财富与个人主义、道德圈大小的关系。RQ1：财富和道德圈的大小有关系吗？个人主义和道德圈的大小？财富和个人主义是否相互作用影响道德圈的大小？方法：由于之前关于财富与道德之间联系的研究的效应大小为中小型（Piff et al., 2010, 2013），因此将招募n=262的机会样本（a = 0.05, 1-B = 0.95, p= 0.20）。效应大小的置信区间将使用自举重采样来计算。为了确保整个财富阶层的代表性，招聘将使用有针对性的广告和在线工具（例如多产）。参与者将采取客观和主观财富，个人主义和道德圈大小的既定措施。在系统的跨学科文献检索之后，将确定和测量道德圈大小的其他可能的相关因素，这些因素可能随着财富/个人主义而系统性地变化。财富x道德圈大小和个人主义x道德圈大小之间的关系将使用双变量相关性进行测试。多元回归将检验财富+个人主义对道德圈大小的影响，并控制混淆变量，路径分析将探索变量之间的直接依赖关系。

The goal of this project is to explore the relationship between altruistic motivation, wealth, and ideological individualism. It comprises three parts: Part 1: The Moral Circle A cross-disciplinary exploration of the underlying motivation to act altruistically in terms of the moral circle (the group we consider worthy of moral consideration). Aim: to form a logically coherent, empirically supported conception of the moral circle. RQ: How should the moral circle be understood and measured in altruism research? Methodology: A systematic literature search will be conducted of accessible philosophy and psychology databases for articles and books using keywords like "moral", "circle" and "expansiveness". Relevant materials will be closely read and critically analysed to arrive at a logically and empirically justified conceptualisation of the moral circle suitable for altruism research. I will consider the validity of existing measures, if circle size is trait or state, and what constitutes moral circle membership. Part 2: The Social Life of Altruism A qualitative interview study using discourse analysis to examine how altruists talk about their moral behaviour and themselves. Aim: To explore the ways in which altruists construct their identity, morality and altruistic behaviour. RQ1: How do altruists construct altruism and their own identity? Does this differ from social norms? RQ2: How do altruists construct their motivation to behave altruistically? How are these constructions used and is their usage influenced by ideology? RQ3: What do these constructions tell us about the role of personal cost in altruism? Method: A purposive opportunity sample of UK altruists will be recruited from 4 groups including wealth-independent, apolitical and anonymous altruistic acts. Unspecified organ donors COVID-19 volunteers People who risked arrest for activism for common good causes People who engaged in acts of spontaneous heroism (e.g. impulsive life-saving, ethical walk-outs) ~10 participants will be recruited for each group totalling n=~40. Participants will undertake semi-structured interviews concerning their identity, motivation and altruism. Analysis will follow the principles of critical discursive psychology. Part 3. Wealth, Individualism and the Moral Circle A between-subjects survey study investigating the relationship of wealth and individualism to altruistic motivation. Aim: to explore the relationships between wealth and individualism and moral circle size. RQ1: Is there a relationship between wealth and moral circle size? Individualism and moral circle size? RQ2: Do wealth and individualism interact to affect moral circle size? Method: As effect sizes in previous research into the link between wealth and morality have been small-medium (Piff et al., 2010, 2013), an opportunity sample of n=262 will be recruited (a =.05, 1-B = .95, p=.20). Confidence intervals for effect sizes will be calculated using bootstrap resampling. To ensure representation across the wealth spectrum, recruitment will use both targeted advertising and online tools (e.g. Prolific). Participants will take established measures of objective and subjective wealth, individualism and moral circle size. Other possible correlates of moral circle size that might vary systematically with wealth/individualism will be identified and measured following a systematic cross-disciplinary literature search. Relationships between wealth x moral circle size and individualism x moral circle size will be tested using bivariate correlations. Multiple regression will be used to test whether wealth + individualism influences moral circle size and to control confounding variables, and path analysis to explore directed dependencies between variables.