Psychological Development and Education ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (2): 206-215.doi: 10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2025.02.06

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The Influence of the Sense of Power on the Sensitivity to Moral Norms: The Role of Sense of Control and Need for Structure

ZHOU Yuhao1,2, ZHANG Feng1,2, XIAO Weilong1,2, FAN Liting1,2, SUN Binghai1,2   

  1. 1. School of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004;
    2. Research Center of Moral Education of Tin Ka Ping, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004
  • Published:2025-03-17

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Abstract: The traditional view divides the individual’s moral judgment into utilitarianism or deontology, while the CNI model can further divide the individual’s moral judgment into sensitivity to consequences, sensitivity to moral norms, and general preference for inaction versus action. Based on CNI model, Gawronski and Brannon (2020) explored the influence of the sense of power on moral judgment and found that the sense of power only affects the individual’s sensitivity to moral norms, but failed to clarify the difference in the influence of high and low sense of power on individuals’ sensitivity to moral norms. To further clarify the difference, a control group was added in Experiment 1, and it was found that the low sense of power increases individuals’ sensitivity to moral norms. Based on power-dependence theory and the compensation control theory, Experiment 2 verified that the sense of control and the need for structure played a chain mediating role in the process of the influence of the low sense of power on individual’s sensitivity to moral norms. In conclusion, this study reveals that the low sense of power increases individuals’ sensitivity to moral norms. And the low sense of power increases the need for structure by reducing the sense of control, and then increases the sensitivity to moral norms, providing support for the power-dependence theory and compensatory control theory.

Key words: sense of power, moral judgment, sense of control, need for structure, CNI model

CLC Number: 

  • B844
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