Self-Interest Bias in Moral Judgments of Character and Behavior

Egocentrism significantly shapes moral cognition, as people view the social world from a default, self-centered perspective. This often leads them to see their evaluations as objective, impartial, and morally justified — even when they are not. As a result, egocentrism can distort how we judge the moral character and behavior of others. 

In this talk, I will present evidence from research programs that have identified a widespread tendency for people to evaluate moral transgressors more leniently when those transgressions serve their interests — a phenomenon known as the self-interest bias. 

Over a decade of research has confirmed that self-interest bias is a robust and pervasive effect. It appears in the moral judgments of children and adults across individual and group contexts and even when people evaluate the actions of artificial intelligence. Recent findings suggest that motivated reasoning may underlie this bias: self-interest bias persists even when individuals are held accountable for their judgments or are aware of being observed. It also remains unaffected by cognitive constraints such as time pressure or foreign language use. Interestingly, the newest studies reveal that individual differences — including greed or motivations focused on the self versus others — can moderate the strength of the self-interest bias. Although the exact mechanisms behind this bias and strategies for overcoming it require further investigation, current evidence suggests that self-interest bias may persist because it serves adaptive social functions: it helps maintain interpersonal relationships, supports group cohesion, and facilitates moral decision-making that aligns with personal or collective goals.
 

Konrad Bocian, Ph.D. is a social psychologist, researcher, and science journalist. He researches biases in moral judgements on the individual and group level, moral development and moral conformity as well as the impact of new technologies on everyday morality.

Supported by the GATES project (Grenoble ATtractiveness and ExcellenceS), funded by the French government's Programme d'Investissement Avenir and implemented by ANR France 2030