What does my group consider moral?: How social influence shapes moral expressions

Morality is often characterized as a set of stable values rooted in “moral truth,” where beliefs are treated as universal facts that transcend social context. We argue that moral expressions—behaviors that signal one’s sense of right and wrong, like outrage, guilt, and pride—are malleable and sensitive to social norms. These norms can amplify moral expressions (e.g., on social media) or restrain them (e.g., in professional settings). We challenge prevailing frameworks that treat morality as context-independent and propose that moral expressions are often motivated by two goals central to social influence: affiliation (desire to affiliate with one’s group) and accuracy (desire to be right in ambiguous situations). Although morality is subjective, group values are often treated as definitive truths. Thus, moral expressions satisfy both goals, making the fundamental question: “what does my group consider moral?” We outline how social influence shapes moral expressions, from unconsciously copying others to expressing outrage to gain status within the group. This framework explains why the same goals can result in different behaviors, highlighting how context-specific norms encourage (or discourage) moral expressions. Finally, we discuss the broader implications of these dynamics and suggest future directions to understand the social drivers of moral expressions.