Pratt, S., Rosenfeld, D. L., et al. (2024, May 28).
PsyArXiv Preprints
Abstract
People readily moralize health, whether by denigrating smokers or treating exercise as noble. Drawing from the theory of dyadic morality, we theorized that people moralize health most strongly when they perceive poor health as a source of harm and suffering. Through four studies (total N = 1,694), we document a positive relationship between perceived harm and moralizations of health. We identified three types of harm—personal, interpersonal, and collective—that people perceive as relevant to health and evaluated the psychometric properties of a 15-item measure to capture each type. Perceived interpersonal harm reliably predicted moralizations of health, whether health was conceived broadly as a concept or specifically as a concrete health issue (e.g., smoking, eating healthfully, infectious disease prevention). These findings outline a research agenda for studying moralization in the health domain. We suggest that targeting moral cognition has potential to explain and perhaps change health behaviors.
Here are some thoughts on this research:
This research can help therapists understand why patients might resist adopting healthy behaviors. Often, moral judgments play a major role in such resistance. This research highlights the concept of perceived harm – the types of harm patients associate with certain health behaviors. Therapists can use this knowledge to identify these specific concerns. By pinpointing these anxieties, therapists can tailor interventions that directly address them, increasing the chances of successful behavior change.
Secondly, the research sheds light on the issue of stigma surrounding certain health conditions. Moralization can contribute to the stigmatization of conditions like obesity or mental illness. Therapists can leverage this understanding to explore how these perceptions arise in patients. By identifying the root causes of stigma, therapists can develop strategies to challenge them and promote acceptance.
Furthermore, the research offers insights into how therapists can communicate more effectively with their patients about health. By understanding the role of perceived harm in moralization, therapists can tailor their communication to resonate with patients' values. This could involve framing health discussions in terms of preventing harm to loved ones, for example. This approach can foster more open and productive conversations about behavior change, ultimately leading to better health outcomes.
Finally, this research can be valuable in navigating the complexities of politicized health issues. Health topics can become battlegrounds for opposing ideologies, leading to moral divides. Therapists can use this research to help patients understand the role of moral judgments in these situations and develop strategies for navigating them in a healthy way. This could involve fostering critical thinking skills to help patients separate fact from opinion, or promoting open-mindedness when encountering opposing viewpoints.
In conclusion, this research on the moralization of health offers mental health professionals valuable insights into the way people think about health and health behaviors. By understanding these moral dimensions, therapists can be more effective in supporting their patients to make positive and sustainable changes.
