Memory and Counterfactual Simulations for Past Wrongdoings Foster Moral Learning and Improvement

Abstract

In four studies, we investigated the role of remembering, reflecting on, and mutating personal past moral transgressions to learn from those moral mistakes and to form intentions for moral improvement. Participants reported having ruminated on their past wrongdoings, particularly their more severe transgressions, and they reported having frequently thought about morally better ways in which they could have acted instead (i.e., morally upward counterfactuals; Studies 1–3). The more that participants reported having mentally simulated morally better ways in which they could have acted, the stronger their intentions were to improve in the future (Studies 2 and 3). Implementing an experimental manipulation, we then found that making accessible a morally upward counterfactual after committing a moral transgression strengthened reported intentions for moral improvement—relative to resimulating the remembered event and considering morally worse ways in which they could have acted instead (Study 4). We discuss the implications of these results for competing theoretical views on the relationship between memory and morality and for functional theories of counterfactual thinking.

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“…Recent research suggests that there are differences in how vividly and readily we recall these memories according to our perceived roles of moral perpetrators or moral victims [6]. Also, the more severe the moral transgression, the better we recall it, especially when we perpetrated it [7]. This seems to occur even though recalling severe, self-perpetrated moral violations are accompanied by more intense negative affect and psychological distress than recalling more minor ones [7,8].…”

“…Also, the more severe the moral transgression, the better we recall it, especially when we perpetrated it [7]. This seems to occur even though recalling severe, self-perpetrated moral violations are accompanied by more intense negative affect and psychological distress than recalling more minor ones [7,8]. To the best of our knowledge, there are no studies that examine the effects of recalling memories of moral transgressions during which people perceived themselves as both victims and perpetrators [2], such as PMIEs.…”

“…By and large, people consider themselves moral, and they need to feel and define themselves as such [8]. This moral identity is threatened by the frequent recall of their most severe moral violations [7]. However, recent studies found that remembering our more severe moral transgressions is followed by the simulation of morally upward counterfactualsalternative moral courses of action (i.e., moral learning) [7].…”

“…This moral identity is threatened by the frequent recall of their most severe moral violations [7]. However, recent studies found that remembering our more severe moral transgressions is followed by the simulation of morally upward counterfactualsalternative moral courses of action (i.e., moral learning) [7]. The functional explanation of this phenomenon is that it represents how we learn from our past mistakes, especially since morally upward counterfactuals are followed by increased intentions to behave morally better in similar future situations [7].…”

“…However, recent studies found that remembering our more severe moral transgressions is followed by the simulation of morally upward counterfactualsalternative moral courses of action (i.e., moral learning) [7]. The functional explanation of this phenomenon is that it represents how we learn from our past mistakes, especially since morally upward counterfactuals are followed by increased intentions to behave morally better in similar future situations [7]. Autonomy is a self-regulatory mechanism for moral learning: when autonomy is low, the number and self-regulatory quality of counterfactuals are reduced, leading to helplessness rather than learning and improvement [14].…”