J Pers Soc Psychol May 2009 PMID 19379034

Liberals and conservatives rely on different sets of moral foundations.

Jesse Graham, Jonathan Haidt, Brian A Nosek

Download social card

Mentions

167
Peak: 4 in Jul 2025
across 6 sources since Jan 2019

Extended reach

70,221
potential audience

Total likes

169

Video views

4,539

Mentions per month

Jan 2019 – Dec 2025

Where it's discussed

  • News96 articles
  • X / Twitter46 posts
  • Blogs15 articles
  • Bluesky6 posts
  • YouTube2 videos
  • Facebook2 posts

AI synopsis

What people are saying

The discussions demonstrate a high level of engagement with detailed references to scholarly work, such as Jonathan Haidt's 'The Righteous Mind,' and cite studies and articles to support claims about moral differences. The tone varies from informative to critical, but mostly reflects an interest in understanding and explaining political morality, which aligns with the scores showing strong interest and moderate engagement.

AgreementModerate agreement

Most discussions accept the main premise that liberals and conservatives rely on different moral foundations, with some debates on the extent and implications.

InterestHigh interest

The social discussions show high interest, with multiple references to studies, authors, and articles, indicating engagement with the topic.

EngagementModerate engagement

Participants reference specific research, books, and studies, suggesting deep engagement beyond surface-level opinions.

ImpactModerate impact

The discussions could influence opinions and understanding about political morality, but overall mainly reinforce existing knowledge rather than cause major shifts.

Abstract in brief

  • Liberals predominantly prioritize the moral foundations of Harm/Care and Fairness/Reciprocity, while conservatives tend to endorse all five moral foundations (including Loyalty, Authority, and Sanctity) more evenly.
  • This variation was consistently observed across multiple studies that examined moral judgments, reactions to taboo topics, and language use in religious texts.
  • Understanding these differences helps explain why moral disagreements are persistent and difficult to resolve within the context of American cultural and political conflicts.]

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
Jesper Rasmussen
@jrpsau · X

10/n Open questions: Why are the left more willing to restrict hate? a) People on the left might infer more harm from hate speech which makes them more likely to restrict hate reflecting different moral foundations by Graham @JonHaidt and @BrianNosek (https://t.co/jowmi00AlE) https://t.co/h1gHw8PZet

Jun 13, 2022 · 7 likes · 1 share · 411 followers View post →
Taz
@ItsTaz1989 · X

Also, Liberals/Leftists have an extremely lopsided sense of morality compared to conservatives, who have a more balanced sense of morality that takes more of the human experience & social needs into account. https://t.co/MQ8lrhQog9.

Sep 13, 2025 · 3 likes · 6,010 followers View post →
Reject Metric
@MetricReject · X

@maelcumries @ClickingSeason The study referenced in this section is "Liberals and Conservatives Rely on Different Sets of Moral Foundations", Graham, Haidt, and Nosek 2009 https://t.co/SagAdHP1HR

Feb 7, 2022 · 3 likes · 2,023 followers View post →
FishEaters.com ΑΩ☾
@FishEaters · X

@Vermeullarmine I challenge liberals' willingness to care about things like loyalty, the sacred, the rule of law, order, etc., and studies show I'm right to do so: https://t.co/KyAdqDu9yI More studies on the differences between liberals and traditionalists/conservatives: https://t.co/zyyXtIDZxb

Aug 16, 2020 · 2 likes · 7,952 followers View post →
Bruce Clark
@bruceclarkprof · X

@RJ_Youngling @atgarone I highly recommend Jonathan Haidt's "The Righteous Mind" for thinking about this. One of the haunting findings: liberals tend to concentrate more closely on a couple of moral dimensions, while conservatives use dimensions more equally. Summary: https://t.co/mIyd3K8nHh

Jul 20, 2025 · 2 likes · 3,983 followers View post →
RJ Youngling
@RJ_Youngling · X

@bruceclarkprof @atgarone He meant the paper you sent (that’s $17.95 for padawans. You’ve been on the Jedi council so long you’ve forgotten wat life is like for plebs.) https://t.co/REeD8QIg8C

Jul 20, 2025 · 2 likes · 2,443 followers View post →

All mentions

GS_
@NikasInParis445 · X

@jane_resists @allie__voss @V_A_R_N https://t.co/L2rhKwwJcd https://t.co/5w6Q58sQ0N https://t.co/PkDgPNymnn

Dec 5, 2025 · 15 followers View post →
GS_
@NikasInParis445 · X

@7th_charm @allie__voss @V_A_R_N https://t.co/5w6Q58sQ0N https://t.co/PkDgPNymnn https://t.co/L2rhKwwJcd

Dec 5, 2025 · 15 followers View post →
R T
@richayyyrich · X

@flackospalace https://t.co/Edk8KrxrJc

Nov 3, 2025 · 142 followers View post →
Albert
@albertkaliyuga · X

@godfacka @coulsounds @clairebubblepop https://t.co/ax1XgtmC1s I think it's this but you can just research "moral foundations" by Jonathan Haidt

Sep 21, 2025 · 1 like · 114 followers View post →
Ramonmartin
@Ramonmartin · X

@drruthannharpur @TweetATherapist Liberals and conservatives rely on different sets of moral foundations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96(5), 1029–1046. https://t.co/7sgRWda4d1 The secret lives of liberals and conservatives. Political Psychology, 29(6), 807–840. https://t.co/ET5aZxkKXa

Sep 13, 2025 · 57 followers View post →
Taz
@ItsTaz1989 · X

Also, Liberals/Leftists have an extremely lopsided sense of morality compared to conservatives, who have a more balanced sense of morality that takes more of the human experience & social needs into account. https://t.co/MQ8lrhQog9.

Sep 13, 2025 · 3 likes · 6,010 followers View post →
Moonlit Monkey
@MoonlitMonkey69 · X

@tjstebbing @zachlimrj @probablyluda It's not really my take. This fairness versus meritocracy as a virtue for left/right is a subject of formal study. For eg. https://t.co/8MIIvw6mtO

Aug 26, 2025 · 1 like · 3,753 followers View post →
RJ Youngling
@RJ_Youngling · X

@bruceclarkprof @atgarone He meant the paper you sent (that’s $17.95 for padawans. You’ve been on the Jedi council so long you’ve forgotten wat life is like for plebs.) https://t.co/REeD8QIg8C

Jul 20, 2025 · 2 likes · 2,443 followers View post →
RJ Youngling
@RJ_Youngling · X

@atgarone @bruceclarkprof Work on your Academic Fu master Jedi https://t.co/REeD8QIg8C https://t.co/fdOKZ9J3Zv

Jul 20, 2025 · 2,443 followers View post →
Bruce Clark
@bruceclarkprof · X

@RJ_Youngling @atgarone I highly recommend Jonathan Haidt's "The Righteous Mind" for thinking about this. One of the haunting findings: liberals tend to concentrate more closely on a couple of moral dimensions, while conservatives use dimensions more equally. Summary: https://t.co/mIyd3K8nHh

Jul 20, 2025 · 2 likes · 3,983 followers View post →
Rom Paul
@anarch0kanyeist · X

@_baechamel @danker_hank https://t.co/rqM2NObmb5 Really interesting research regarding left/right value hierarchy

Jul 3, 2025 · 1 like · 118 followers View post →
Octdesertlover
@octdesertlover.bsky.social · Bluesky

Reading for ethics class an article titled liberals and conservatives rely on different sets of moral foundations. It was written in 2009. The line I just highlighted

Apr 5, 2025 · 1 like · 1 share View post →
brighterside0
@brighterside0.bsky.social · Bluesky

www.nature.com/articles/s41... www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19379034/ www.jstor.org/stable/43783... gspp.berkeley.edu/assets/uploa...

Mar 30, 2025 · 1 share View post →
Eat Me Fu
@eatmefu · X

@jax_joint @BreitbartNews Correct. Because we are intelligent and see the world for what it is and understand your mental illness. You don't understand anything about the good or what we think. You are all brain damaged basically. https://t.co/CJShUVMI9q https://t.co/yxhi9xxaBk https://t.co/iICDztA1PB

Mar 20, 2025 · 120 followers View post →
CodeForAutomation
@AutomationCode · X

@CrucifixWizard @pegobry_en @Mordie_Kai PERSONALITY PROCESSES AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES Liberals and Conservatives Rely on Different Sets of Moral Foundations by Jesse Graham, Jonathan Haidt, and Brian A. Nosek, University of Virginia https://t.co/8zkgeVFCrD

Mar 11, 2025 · 508 followers View post →
TheThaumaturgist
@Thaumaturgist86 · X

@ac2020 @Autonomic443 @leonardo__1989 @SeedOilDsrspctr @Adam_J508 Leftists tend to only be capable of wrapping their heads around 2 out of 5 categories of morality, whereas conservatives tend to balance them more evenly. https://t.co/Dd9RykYjqh

Jan 26, 2025 · 103 followers View post →
K Wagner
@kwagner.bsky.social · Bluesky

Here is another journal article along similar lines: Liberals and Conservatives Rely on Different Sets of Moral Foundations, Jesse Graham, Jonathan Haidt, and Brian A. Nosek Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2009, Vol. 96, No. 5, 1029 –1046 www.projectimplicit.net/nosek/papers...

Jan 23, 2025 · 2 likes · 1 share View post →
Russell Richie
@drussellmrichie.bsky.social · Bluesky

There's a long line of research suggesting that conservatives prioritize purity as a moral foundation more than do liberals: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19379034/

Dec 14, 2024 · 1 share View post →
Jam-Covered Corgi Bites ICE Tuchus
@ellenb.bsky.social · Bluesky

The innate moral foundations of politics: Liberals and Conservatives Rely on Different Sets of Moral Foundations (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2009, DOI: 10.1037/a0015141) fbaum.unc.edu/teaching/art...

Nov 12, 2024 · 1 like View post →
rwsanders
@rwsanders · X

@qzmdpqb4k9 @hollystortholme Liberals and Conservatives Rely on Different Sets of Moral Foundations grok: Key Findings Liberals: Primarily value Harm/Care and Fairness/Reciprocity. Show less emphasis on Ingroup/Loyalty, Authority/Respect, and Purity/Sanctity. Conservatives: Value all five foundations more

Nov 11, 2024 · 301 followers View post →
☩ Kentleigh English
@KentleighE · X

@GrisdaleJohn @LBC Ohh, I'm sorry, did you want the associated study? https://t.co/GGyFQvb2WK Fucking idiot.

Oct 28, 2024 · 1 like · 284 followers View post →
Peter Monk
@PeterMonkNSL · X

@Hunter_RileyG @pinkheretic @SecularLobby @JaneCaro Is this the study? Because that's not what Haidt says here. Also, "conservative" is the word he himself uses & he uses "liberal" not "lefty", which you clearly use as a derogatory term. How can you be understanding of people you choose to demean? https://t.co/yjwsdJbvTQ

Oct 25, 2024 · 1 like · 217 followers View post →
Thom Hansen
@ThomHansen1989 · X

@carroll_darian @Noahpinion What are "our" values? You do realize that conservatives and liberals have fundamentally different values? https://t.co/GDvnUVUltY

Sep 17, 2024 · 92 followers View post →
Your Mom, Dave
@YourMomDave1 · X

@garrett_amini @BriannaWu Ah yes, if it isn't one of the most consistently reproducible findings in all of political science, that Conservatives and liberals have different moral foundations that map onto things like religion, the military, and duty. https://t.co/EKQ8ZQmRaL

Aug 4, 2024 · 1 like · 629 followers View post →
Heidi
@ShortyMcSh0rts · X

https://t.co/9eZaQCGWbm.

Jun 19, 2024 · 1 like · 146 followers View post →
Someone
@trpratt01 · X

@arithmoquine This isn’t at all “just what it comes down to”… for instance conservatives have a wider moral framework while liberals have a very narrow one and don’t value things like loyalty, respect or sanctity. https://t.co/IAw9UQp7oB

Jun 3, 2024 · 97 followers View post →
Not that other guy, that's for sure
@neogliberal.bsky.social · Bluesky

See also: "The coddling of the American mind: How good intentions and bad ideas are setting up a generation for failure" See also: "Liberals and conservatives rely on different sets of moral foundations"

Mar 30, 2024 · 1 like View post →
Parker Brown
@pbrown063 · X

@_ryancallihan @farairesearch @Columbia Thank you for sharing! I wonder what led them to select Gert's common morality as the ground for generating scenarios. I wonder how diverse the scenarios generated would be using other moral frameworks. There is reference to the work of @JonHaidt https://t.co/Y4bRihBReF

Feb 21, 2024 · 242 followers View post →
Emil
@animusblue · X

@sami_hyttinen Liberaali vaihtoehto tässä ja nimessänne tuntuu viittaavan yhteen kuudesta moraalipilarista. On näyttöä, että esim. konservatiivit hyödyntävät moraalipäättelyssään useampaa (5) pilaria kuin vasemmisto (2). Ehkä ongelma liittyy moraaliperustan kapeuteen. https://t.co/uI2iVGZKjy https://t.co/dKvGvd1jh0

Jul 4, 2023 · 208 followers View post →
Aline Magalhaes
@alinefortuna2 · X

RT @evanildo_: @alinefortuna2 @wgoncalves_PP Me parece uma questão de sensibilidades diferentes https://t.co/Wuym7JMkv2

Mar 1, 2023 · 1 share · 8,524 followers View post →
Evan
@evanildo_ · X

@alinefortuna2 @wgoncalves_PP Me parece uma questão de sensibilidades diferentes https://t.co/Wuym7JMkv2

Mar 1, 2023 · 2 likes · 1 share · 469 followers View post →
Carl Schmitt
@Schmitt_4real · X

@buckwild8448 @MikeA138 @Fionaek @EndWokeness Incorrect! According to Johnathan Heidt's 5 moral foundations left and right are neck and neck on care (empathy). Of the 5, conservatives are equally strong in all 5 while liberals are only strong in 2 and weak on the other 3. https://t.co/v7ZSHCAJUm

Feb 3, 2023 · 1 like · 91 followers View post →
Kaitsu.
@UnclemanBoomer · X

@LepistoMarkus @katmarmi https://t.co/Wknbvr4m3I

Nov 27, 2022 · 403 followers View post →
The Jefferson Bible, TJB
@ThomJefferBible · X

RT @ChurchKnowledge: @believe1reality Sounds like you're referring to the moral foundations research, and you have it about right. Liberals…

Nov 14, 2022 · 1 share · 1,066 followers View post →
Church of Infinite Knowledge (atheist)
@ChurchKnowledge · X

@believe1reality Sounds like you're referring to the moral foundations research, and you have it about right. Liberals are more concerned with care and fairness, less concerned with loyalty, sanctity, and liberty. Conservatives are approx. equally concerned with all 5. https://t.co/4uXK0ZUasx

Nov 14, 2022 · 1 like · 1 share · 985 followers View post →
Silvertongued Devil
@SilvrtonguedDvl · X

@RenegadeWade33 @AydinPaladin And picking one last one out of desperation to find something... Liberals and Conservatives rely on different sets of moral foundations... says what it says on the tin. Liberals and Conservatives have different values that inform their morality. Shocking, I know.

Oct 29, 2022 · 253 followers View post →
Oli Graham
@niuqapimiar · X

@matthew88264759 @honestsportz @RightWingCope https://t.co/zpf2HsJVRw I think this one does or a later study based on this one

Oct 26, 2022 · 202 followers View post →
LordOfTheLies
@lies_lord · X

@LilaSchwarz4 @AldousH31917934 @spartabube @lichtstifter Er spricht in seinem Buch "The Righteous Mind" darüber. Ansonsten relevante Paper von ihm: https://t.co/4W9HJ9kAE1 https://t.co/2XLxN9vCQS

Jun 25, 2022 · 1 like · 27 followers View post →
Chile717
@Chile7171 · X

RT @jrpsau: 10/n Open questions: Why are the left more willing to restrict hate? a) People on the left might infer more harm from hate spe…

Jun 14, 2022 · 1 share · 688 followers View post →
Jesper Rasmussen
@jrpsau · X

10/n Open questions: Why are the left more willing to restrict hate? a) People on the left might infer more harm from hate speech which makes them more likely to restrict hate reflecting different moral foundations by Graham @JonHaidt and @BrianNosek (https://t.co/jowmi00AlE) https://t.co/h1gHw8PZet

Jun 13, 2022 · 7 likes · 1 share · 411 followers View post →
Pelayo desencadenado
@RelYPol · X

@Themasterdash1 @reincidente @patergongora @IreneMontero Me puedes contestar tú, que es a quién he escrito. Y el que realmente no debe saber de qué va esto debes ser tú cuando etiquetas a alguien que no conoces asegurándole como es, el argumento ad hominen no te ayuda mucho. Te recomiendo este artículo. https://t.co/Lb76uN3gzp

May 4, 2022 · 886 followers View post →
Reject Metric
@MetricReject · X

@maelcumries @ClickingSeason The study referenced in this section is "Liberals and Conservatives Rely on Different Sets of Moral Foundations", Graham, Haidt, and Nosek 2009 https://t.co/SagAdHP1HR

Feb 7, 2022 · 3 likes · 2,023 followers View post →
LittleMiss
@sweetielowe · X

@akslsee @Kateandtheboys Graham, J., Haidt, J. & Nosek, B. (2009). Liberals and Conservatives Rely on Different Sets of Moral Foundations. Personality Processes and Individual Differences, 96: 1029-1046.

Jul 28, 2021 · 147 followers View post →
The Powers That Be
@JaradBryant · X

@PunkKia Graham, J., Haidt, J. & Nosek, B. (2009). Liberals and Conservatives Rely on Different Sets of Moral Foundations. Personality Processes and Individual Differences, 96: 1029-1046.

Jun 30, 2021 · 224 followers View post →
Kristopher
@5ilver42 · X

@Friended4Ever Liberals and conservatives rely on different sets of moral foundations. 2009 Graham, J., Haidt, J., & Nosek, B. A. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96(5), 1029-1046. https://t.co/OaWBxLQtaB

Oct 4, 2020 · 33 followers View post →
FishEaters.com ΑΩ☾
@FishEaters · X

@Vermeullarmine I challenge liberals' willingness to care about things like loyalty, the sacred, the rule of law, order, etc., and studies show I'm right to do so: https://t.co/KyAdqDu9yI More studies on the differences between liberals and traditionalists/conservatives: https://t.co/zyyXtIDZxb

Aug 16, 2020 · 2 likes · 7,952 followers View post →
Tuure Haarjärvi
@Vayrytu · X

@silvertoinen @riihelaanton @erisgumma Tähän kun lisätään vasemmistolaisten tutkitusti hankaluus ymmärtää oikeistolaista ajattelua, niin olisin _erittäin_ skeptinen termin nykykäytöstä. https://t.co/Idu3k7iYyZ

Jun 5, 2020 · 163 followers View post →
David Mordecai—@liminal67.bsky.social
@liminal67 · X

@psychunseen Are you familiar with the work of @JonHaidt? I believe it has evolved quite a bit since this paper but I still find this one of the best roadmaps for appreciating why liberals and conservatives fail to understand one another. https://t.co/ytjYMvprm1

Oct 17, 2019 · 1,536 followers View post →
Ananias Oliveira
@ananias_1979 · X

@agpatriota Alexandre esse estudo é mais completo: https://t.co/SaTl8KDI8l

Aug 3, 2019 · 1 like · 13,081 followers View post →
Philosophy Fans
@PhilosophyFans · X

Liberals and Conservatives Rely on Different Sets of Moral Foundations. The first emphasize individualizing foundations (Harm/Care, Fairness/reciprocity), the second add to these also the binding foundations (ingroup/loyalty, authority... https://t.co/eKdT16CKi4

May 26, 2019 · 1,333 followers View post →
Beth
@Haughton832 · X

Liberals and Conservatives Rely on Different Sets of Moral Foundations. The first emphasize individualizing foundations (Harm/Care, Fairness/reciprocity), the second add to these also the binding foundations (ingroup/loyalty, authority/respect, purity/sa… https://t.co/5lUynbuwdg

May 26, 2019 · 105 followers View post →
Hiraishi Kai
@kaihiraishi · X

4.Liberals and conservatives rely on different sets of moral foundations. WEIRDと非WEIRDでの比較を見てみたい。 #ml2解読

Jan 14, 2019 · 3,021 followers View post →