Online Moral Conformity Revisited

Abstract

This article presents a divergent replication of a recent study exploring the phenomenon of moral conformity in online video interactions. The replication introduced intentional variations, such as a different cultural context—specifically, Russian—and varied stimulus materials to examine the cross-cultural stability and consistency of the observed moral conformity effect. The research utilised a well-established Asch conformity paradigm and encompassed 15 moral situations, including trolley-type, factual and Haidt's moral scenarios. The study recruited a total of 104 participants, aged 18–28, comprising 68 females and 36 males. In the experimental condition, participants confronted moral dilemmas in the presence of confederates via the online video meeting service, while participants in the control condition made decisions alone. The results revealed significant differences between experimental and control conditions for both consequentialist and deontological pressure, as well as for the overall conformity level, affirming the robustness of the moral conformity effect across cultural contexts. No significant difference was observed between trolley-type and factual dilemmas. These findings suggest that moral conformity is a stable behavioural phenomenon that transcends cultural boundaries, highlighting its relevance for understanding moral behaviour in online interactions.