When alterations are violations: Moral outrage and punishment in response to (even minor) alterations to rituals.

Abstract

From Catholics performing the sign of the cross since the 4th century to Americans reciting the Pledge of Allegiance since the 1890s, group rituals (i.e., predefined sequences of symbolic actions) have strikingly consistent features over time. Seven studies (N = 4,213) document the sacrosanct nature of rituals: Because group rituals symbolize sacred group values, even minor alterations to them provoke moral outrage and punishment. In Pilot Studies A and B, fraternity members who failed to complete initiation activities that were more ritualistic elicited relatively greater moral outrage and hazing from their fraternity brothers. Study 1 uses secular holiday rituals to explore the dimensions of ritual alteration—both physical and psychological—that elicit moral outrage. Study 2 suggests that altering a ritual elicits outrage even beyond the extent to which the ritual alteration is seen as violating descriptive and injunctive norms. In Study 3, group members who viewed male circumcision as more ritualistic (i.e., Jewish vs. Muslim participants) expressed greater moral outrage in response to a proposal to alter circumcision to make it safer. Study 4 uses the Pledge of Allegiance ritual to explore how the intentions of the person altering the ritual influence observers’ moral outrage and punishment. Finally, in Study 5, even minor alterations elicited comparable levels of moral outrage to major alterations of the Jewish Passover ritual. Across both religious and secular rituals, the more ingroup members believed that rituals symbolize sacred group values, the more they protected their rituals—by punishing those who violated them.

Alterations in Religious Rituals Due to COVID-19 Could Be Related to Intragroup Negativity: A Case of Changes in Receiving Holy Communion in the Roman Catholic Community in Poland

“…Thus, those who chose to receive Holy Communion on the hand during the pandemic could be perceived as less religious compared to those who maintained the usual form of reception of Holy Communion. This result was consistent with the theory indicating that alteration of ritual reflects a violation of values represented in the ritual (Stein et al 2021b). Moreover, Karwowski et al (2020) demonstrated that elevated social conservatism during the pandemic was predicted by higher anxiety.…”

“…Our results partially confirmed the theory of ritual alteration as moral violation (Stein et al 2021a(Stein et al , 2021b. The subtle derogation of the out-group indicated that negativity was expressed toward those who altered the ritual but also toward those who did not alter it.…”

“…Predictions about the intragroup consequences of ritual alteration due to COVID-19 could be also drawn from the theory of ritual alteration as moral violation (Stein et al 2021b). Stein and colleagues demonstrated that because group rituals symbolize sacred group values, even minor alterations to them provoke moral outrage and a tendency to punish the violators.…”

“…Stein and colleagues demonstrated that because group rituals symbolize sacred group values, even minor alterations to them provoke moral outrage and a tendency to punish the violators. Individuals who were more committed to their religion (i.e., Judaism) and strongly believed that the ritual (Passover) symbolizes religious values experienced the most outrage and willingness to punish the violation (Stein et al 2021b; Study 5). Alterations of a ritual represent a particular moral violation to ingroup members, not outgroup members, because outgroup members do not share the group's values (Stein et al 2021a).…”

Balancing the Freedom–Security Trade-Off During Crises and Disasters

“…In this way, self-control problems disappear, because immoral choices are forbidden; they cannot even be considered in the first place. Consistent with these findings, the perceived morality of laws predicts willingness to comply with them (Nadler, 2005), and moral behavior is enforced by strong social norms and by moral outrage at transgressions (Rost et al, 2016;Skitka et al, 2021;Stein et al, 2021;Tetlock, 2003). When behaviors become immoral, people also gain the license to confront violators (e.g., confronting someone who is smoking inside; Rozin, 1999).…”