To shoot or not to shoot: experiments on moral injury in the context of West Bank checkpoints and COVID-19 restrictions enforcement

In three controlled experiments among participants with varied combat experience, morally injurious events characterized by killing innocent suspects triggered a greater degree of moral injury and related moral emotions than events characterized by killing non-innocent suspects. Does exposure to eve...

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Published in:	European journal of psychotraumatology 2022, Vol.13 (1), p.2013651-2013651
Main Authors:	Hertz, Uri, Snider, Keren L. G., Levy, Adi, Canetti, Daphna, Gross, Michael L.
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Adult Anger Basic Child, Preschool Coronaviruses COVID-19 COVID-19 - epidemiology Daño moral Emociones morales emotional distress Experiments exposición a Terrorismo exposure to terrorism Guilt Humans Ideología política Israel - epidemiology lab-model Male malestar emocional Military Personnel - psychology Modelo de laboratorio moral emotions Moral injury Pandemics - legislation & jurisprudence political ideology Shame Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - epidemiology Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology Surveys and Questionnaires Veterans - psychology 实验室模型恐怖主义情绪困扰政治意识形态暴露于恐怖主义道德伤害道德情感
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Summary:	In three controlled experiments among participants with varied combat experience, morally injurious events characterized by killing innocent suspects triggered a greater degree of moral injury and related moral emotions than events characterized by killing non-innocent suspects. Does exposure to events that transgress accepted norms, such as killing innocent civilians, prompt the psychological and emotional consequences of moral injury among soldiers? Moral injury is associated with negative emotions such as guilt, shame and anger, and a sense of betrayal and is identified among veterans following exposure to potentially morally injurious events (PMIE). We experimentally investigate how PMIE characteristics affect the intensity of MI and related negative moral emotions in participants with varied military experience. We conducted three controlled, randomized experiments. Each exposed male respondents with active combat experience (Study 1) and varied military experience (Study 2) to four textual vignettes describing PMIE (child/adult and innocent/non-innocent suspect) that transpire at an Israeli checkpoint in the West Bank. In study 3, we exposed participants to two scenarios, where descriptions of police officers enforcing COVID 19 restrictions confronted lockdown violators. Participants assigned to vignettes describing killing an innocent civilian exhibited more intense levels of shame and guilt than those assigned to vignettes describing killing a person carrying a bomb. Religiosity and political ideology were strong predictors of guilt and shame in response to descriptions of checkpoint shootings. These effects disappeared in Study 3, suggesting that political ideology drives MI in intergroup conflict. Background and PMIE-related characteristics affect the development of moral injury. Additionally, lab experiments demonstrate the potential and limitations of controlled studies of moral injury and facilitate an understanding of the aetiology of moral injury in a way unavailable to clinicians. Finally, experimental findings and methodologies offer further insights into the genesis of moral injury and avenues for therapy and prophylaxis.
ISSN:	2000-8066 2000-8198 2000-8066