Researchers ran three studies with hundreds of US adults. Participants read short descriptions of everyday behaviors by fictional people, such as helping family, following rules, or showing favoritism. For each example, people said whether the action showed the person's character or the situation and whether they would trust that person.
In the final study, participants judged behaviors while memorizing long strings of numbers to create mental distraction. The judgments stayed strong even with less attention. The main finding was that acts involving fairness and respect for property produced the strongest reactions. Fair or property-respecting people were seen as more moral and were trusted more; violations led to harsh judgments and less willingness to cooperate.
Difficult words
- participant — person who takes part in a studyparticipants
- behavior — what a person does in a situationbehaviors
- character — the qualities that show a person's nature
- trust — belief that someone is honest or reliabletrusted
- fairness — treating people in an equal and just way
- property — things that people own or keep
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Discussion questions
- Have you ever decided if someone is good or bad from one action? Give a short example.
- Would you trust someone who respects other people's things? Why or why not?
- Do you think people still judge others when they are busy or distracted? Why?
