EFFECTS OF MORALITY MATCHING AND VALUE-EXPRESSIVE FUNCTION ON COGNITIVE META-BASES

Abstract

Existing literature on meta-bases explored the possible effects it causes; however, there is a lack of knowledge in the antecedents of meta-bases. Using social issues of Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) and Pink Dot, this study investigated whether there is an effect of matching one’s morality concerns with topic’s morality on cognitive meta-bases that is moderated by value-expressive attitude function. The hypotheses are: (1) matching one’s morality concerns to that of topic will predict higher cognitive metabases; (2) value-expressive function will predict higher cognitive meta-bases; and (3) those with matching morality will perceive greater cognitive meta-bases when they have high value-expressive attitude function. For each topic, a 2 (morality concern: prescriptive or proscriptive morality; categorical) x 2 (value-expressive attitude function: low or high; continuous) between-subjects design was used, with cognitive meta-bases as the criterion variable. Results supported only the second hypothesis, identifying value-expressive function as the first antecedent of cognitive meta-bases. The lack of findings may be due to inadequate priming, or salience of processing fluency (assuming successful priming). Future research should replicate this study again with a manipulation check. In addition, more research should be done to explore the relationship between value-expressive function and cognitive meta-bases.