Moral outrage at injustices afforded highly justice-sensitive individuals a stronger sense of meaningfulness of their own life

Meaningful outrage: Anger at injustice bolsters meaning for justice sensitive individuals. Zachary K. Rothschild, Lucas A. Keefer. European Journal of Social Psychology, October 24 2021. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2820

Abstract: Individuals are frequently exposed to media describing salient moral violations, often eliciting negative reactions. Three studies examined whether the outrage engendered by such news may serve as a source of personal meaning for justice sensitive individuals. Using an experience sampling method, Study 1 found that among high (but not low) justice sensitive individuals, outrage (but not sadness) at unethical/unjust news content predicted greater personal meaning. Employing an experimental paradigm, Study 2 found that the opportunity to express outrage at third-party harm-doing attenuated a threat-induced reduction in personal meaning among high (but not low) justice sensitive participants. Study 3 found that giving justice sensitive participants the opportunity to affirm the meaningfulness of their own life (vs. another person's life or no affirmation) reduced expressions of outrage at third-party harm-doing. Results suggest outrage may uniquely serve a meaning-maintenance function for those who view upholding justice as a central value.