Polarization about Human Rights: Political Orientation, Morality, and Belief in a Just World

Galli, L. M., & Modesto, J. G. (2023). Polarization about Human Rights: Political Orientation, Morality, and Belief in a Just World. Trends in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43076-023-00260-4

Abstract:

Considering that human rights seem increasingly threatened in Brazil, this research aimed to investigate the mediating effect of morality (individualizing and binding moral foundations) and the moderating effect of belief in a just world on the relationship between political orientation and human rights attitudes. Two hundred four participants answered the human rights questionnaire, the moral foundations questionnaire, the global beliefs in a just-world scale, and the sociodemographic questionnaire and indicated the political orientation. The data showed that political orientation tends to explain the endorsement of morality foundations in Brazil. Also, political orientation was a strong predictor of human rights’ defense, independent of a “conservative morality” and the belief in a just world. However, the individualizing moral foundation mediated the relationship between political orientation and human rights’ defense. This study shows that human right seems part of a political-polarized agenda in Brazil.