In a series of studies, we demonstrate that moral judgment is impacted by sensory input experienced during the product evaluation process due to its impact on mental construal level. We find that seeing or hearing a product while evaluating it elicits more concrete thought, which entails the consideration of contextual factors and extenuating circumstances, and hence leads to moral leniency. Importantly, we show this phenomenon holds only among consumers who possess a flexible moral mindset, which makes them more inclined to consider contextual factors when making moral judgments. This work is the first we are aware of to demonstrate systematic effects of visual and auditory sensory input on marketplace morality, as well as the moderating role of moral mindset. Implications and areas for future research are discussed.

在一系列研究中，我们证明了道德判断受产品评估过程中经历的感官输入的影响，这是由于其对心理建构水平的影响。我们发现，在评估产品时看到或听到产品会引起更具体的思考，这需要考虑上下文因素和可减轻的情况，从而导致道德宽大。重要的是，我们证明了这种现象仅在具有灵活的道德观念的消费者中有效，这使他们在做出道德判断时更倾向于考虑情境因素。这项工作是我们意识到的第一项工作，旨在证明视觉和听觉感觉输入对市场道德的系统影响以及道德心态的调节作用。讨论了未来研究的意义和领域。