Humans reliably respond to insult and injury with moral outrage. Judging and punishing others for wrongdoing can deter future harms and promote group cooperation, but can also exacerbate social divides and escalate into destructive cycles of retaliation. This behaviour evolved in the context of small foraging groups, but is now widespread in massive online communities.
In this talk Professor Molly Crockett, Associate Professor of Experimental Psychology, will explore how digital media changes the costs and benefits of moral outrage and its implications for social cohesion.