Abstract: Based on embodied metaphor theory, we explored the conceptual metaphor of moral emotions in cleanliness-dirtiness and its contextuality. Experiments 1 respectively explored the association between the conceptual metaphor of moral emotions and cleanliness-dirtiness from the environmental and personal cleanliness-dirtiness domains, and Experiments 2 examined the contextuality of the cleanliness-dirtiness metaphor in the social welfare and social harm situations. Results indicated: (1) Both environmental and personal cleanliness-dirtiness were metaphorically linked to moral emotion concepts, with personal cleanliness-dirtiness exhibiting a stronger metaphorical association than its environmental counterpart; (2) The metaphorical link between dirtiness and negative moral emotions was attenuated in the social welfare situation, while the link between cleanliness and positive moral emotions was diminished in the social harm situation, demonstrating the contextuality of moral emotion concept metaphors. We found that the cleanliness-dirtiness metaphor in the conceptualization of moral emotions exhibits psychological realism and contextuality. Maintaining environmental and personal cleanliness is crucial for positively guiding individual moral emotions, and individuals may need to take a cautious attitude towards cleanness and dirtiness in certain social situations to avoid cognitive bias.

Key words: embodied metaphor, moral emotions, cleanliness-dirtiness, contextuality