Immorality of success: When legitimization does not work

• Authors: Wojciszke B. , Dowhyluk M.
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Based on the idea that Polish society actively delegitimizes the economical and political order we predicted that persons successful in business or politics would be perceived as less moral than failing ones. Participants (N=210 students) read vignettes describing businessmen or politicians who succeeded or failed in their activity and then rated their competence, morality, likeability, and respectability. Although successful persons were perceived as more competent and respectable, they were also seen as less moral and likeable than the failing ones. The latter results were interpreted as a symptom of system delegitimization. We conclude that some social systems are not being legitimized because they are widely believed to be not fair and in an acute need of change.

Keywords

EN

LEGITIMIZATION; MORAL JUDGMENTS

Discipline

• PSYCHOLOGY: PSYCHOLOGY

• Publisher: Committee for Psychological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Polish Psychological Bulletin
• Year: 2006
• Volume: 37
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 213-220
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Wojciszke B.

author

Dowhyluk M.

• B. Wojciszke, Szkola Wyzsza Psychologii Spolecznej, ul. Chodakowska 19-31, 03-815 Warszawa, Poland

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

07PLAAAA02004254