Ordinary people show in ordinary situations unethical behavior on social media, which can cause harm to others.
Within this paper, the moral foundations theory is linked with moral disengagement to offer an explanation why this behavior can be observed.
According to the moral foundation theory, five moral foundations function to some extent like taste buds on the tongue. While taste buds on the tongue collect perceptual stimuli with respect to food and drinks, the moral foundations repond to abstract conceptual stimuli (e.g. perceived cheating, cowardice, etc.). When moral receptors are triggered, people may react against the source of the stimulus in an unethical way.
This would normally trigger a form of self-regulation in form of self-sanctioning as own moral standards are violated. This self-regulation can, however, be deactivated, which allows individuals to perform this behavior without any feeling of guilt (moral disengagement).
Published in: Social Computing and Social Media. Design, Ethics, User Behavior, and Social Network Analysis
