The CAD triad hypothesis: A mapping between three moral emotions (contempt, anger, disgust) and three moral codes (community, autonomy, divinity).

TLDR

Across cultures, contempt, anger, and disgust are linked to violations of community, autonomy, and divinity moral codes, respectively. The study aims to test the CAD triad hypothesis that maps contempt, anger, and disgust to community, autonomy, and divinity moral codes. Participants from the United States and Japan evaluated moral violation scenarios and assigned either a facial expression from a six‑choice set or a word label (contempt, anger, disgust, or translations). Results generally supported the CAD triad hypothesis, with facial expression analysis corroborating the mapping.

Abstract

It is proposed that 3 emotions--contempt, anger, and disgust--are typically elicited, across cultures, by violations of 3 moral codes proposed by R. A. Shweder and his colleagues (R. A. Shweder, N. C. Much, M. Mahapatra, & L. Park, 1997). The proposed alignment links anger to autonomy (individual rights violations), contempt to community (violation of communal codes including hierarchy), and disgust to divinity (violations of purity-sanctity). This is the CAD triad hypothesis. Students in the United States and Japan were presented with descriptions of situations that involve 1 of the types of moral violations and asked to assign either an appropriate facial expression (from a set of 6) or an appropriate word (contempt, anger, disgust, or their translations). Results generally supported the CAD triad hypothesis. Results were further confirmed by analysis of facial expressions actually made by Americans to the descriptions of these situations.