Moral Foundations Theory: Modern View on the Psychological Factors of Political Beliefs

Abstract

Objective. The research is aimed at analyzing of the main achievements of Moral Foundations Theory in the study of problems of political psychology, as well as at reviewing its criticism and limitations.
Background. In recent years, the problem of the psychological origins of political orientations and views has attracted considerable attention of researchers, due to the practical significance of predicting election results and preventing the manipulation of voters' opinions in democratic countries. One of the most popular and productive modern approaches explaining the psychological factors of political orientations is Moral Foundations Theory. The article discusses the key ideas of this theory in the studies of problems of political psychology, describes the methods developed and the results achieved. Special attention is paid to criticism of Moral Foundations Theory and empirical studies demonstrating its weaknesses and limitations.
Conclusions. The studies show that conservative or liberal political orientations, and right or left views are associated with moral foundations, but these facts are found predominantly in Western countries. This conclusion is well supported by the results of Moral Foundations Questionnaire, however, the assessment of moral foundations using content analysis shows significantly lower correlations. Moral foundations also play an important role for intergroup relations, demonstrating associations with tolerance towards various groups and support for a hard or peaceful foreign policy. The prospects for further research within this approach include the improvement of instruments, the expansion of research in different cultures and a more careful consideration of the context in which the consequences of moral foundations are investigated.