A relational perspective of social influence on moral issues

This chapter discusses why it is important indeed essential to adopt a relational perspective to fully comprehend when, how, why individuals are influenced by their romantic partners when moral issues tied to core moral virtues arise. First it describes Haidt's social intuitionist model (SIM) of moral judgment and the five "moral foundations" that constitute the major content areas underlying moral judgments. Next the chapter discusses what a relational perspective on this model especially the interpersonal links can contribute to the morality field. Lastly it offers concluding comments and further ideas for future research. According to Haidt's social intuitionist model (SIM) of moral judgment, moral judgments and decisions frequently occur in interpersonal contexts. Research examining morally relevant behavior suggests that close relationship partners should play an important role in shaping moral judgments. Differences in power may have some of the strongest effects on moral judgment and decision making when an outcome is important to the higher-power partner.