A Trait Component of Attitude Moralization: Dispositional Moralizing Across Topics and its Implications

Moralization plays a critical role in shaping attitudes, behaviors, and social divisions, yet prior research has primarily examined attitude moralization at the topic level, assuming that some issues are inherently more moral than others. The present research challenges this assumption by introducing dispositional moralizing—the tendency to moralize a broad range of topics as a stable individual difference. Across multiple studies, we decompose variance in attitude moralization ratings and demonstrate that dispositional moralizing predicts unique behavioral and persuasive outcomes beyond existing constructs such as moral identity and moral reflectivity. Using a structural measure of moralization across over 1,000 topics, we find that dispositional moralizing remains stable over time and predicts real-world behaviors, including voting, consumption, and interpersonal interactions. Additionally, those high in dispositional moralizing are more responsive to moral arguments, even for novel topics where their specific moral convictions are unknown. These findings provide theoretical advancements by revealing a generalized moralization trait, offer practical implications for persuasion and policy-making, and contribute to broader discussions on moral psychology and attitude strength. Understanding individual differences in moralization can enhance predictions of political engagement, consumer behavior, and receptivity to persuasive appeals across diverse domains.