Is moral elevation an approach-oriented emotion?

Van de Vyver, J.; Abrams, D.

Abstract

Two studies were designed to test whether moral elevation should be conceptualized as an approach-oriented emotion. The studies examined the relationship between moral elevation and the behavioral activation and inhibition systems. Study 1 (N = 80) showed that individual differences in moral elevation were associated with individual differences in behavioral activation but not inhibition. Study 2 (N = 78) showed that an elevation-inducing video promoted equally high levels of approach orientation as an anger-inducing video and significantly higher levels of approach orientation than a control video. Furthermore, the elevation-inducing stimulus (vs. the control condition) significantly promoted prosocial motivation and this effect was sequentially mediated by feelings of moral elevation followed by an approach-oriented state. Overall the results show unambiguous support for the proposal that moral elevation is an approach-oriented emotion. Applied and theoretical implications are discussed.

Citation

Van de Vyver, J., & Abrams, D. (2016). Is moral elevation an approach-oriented emotion?. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 12(2), 178-185. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2016.1163410

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 13, 2016
• Online Publication Date: May 17, 2016
• Publication Date: May 17, 2016
• Deposit Date: Sep 6, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 7, 2018
• Journal: Journal of Positive Psychology
• Print ISSN: 1743-9760
• Electronic ISSN: 1743-9779
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 12
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 178-185
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2016.1163410
• Related Public URLs: http://eprints.lincoln.ac.uk/23156/