Survey Results

Moral motivation: internalism or externalism?


1429 respondents
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What the percentages mean: "Accept or lean toward P: 50% (40%)" means that 50% of respondents endorsed this answer inclusively (including multiple-answer endorsements) and 40% endorsed this answer exclusively (excluding multiple-answer endorsements).

These results should not be used for comparison to 2009 results due to different populations and parameters. For meaningful longitudinal comparisons, see the longitudinal analysis section.

Accept or lean towards:
internalism
41.01% (38.14%)
Reject or lean against:
internalism
0.21% (0.00%)
Accept or lean towards:
externalism
39.33% (36.60%)
Reject or lean against:
externalism
0.21% (0.00%)
Accept a combination of views
3.22%
Accept an alternative view
1.82%
The question is too unclear to answer
6.30%
There is no fact of the matter
1.68%
Agnostic/undecided
11.69%
Other
0.56%
N = 1429, excluding skipped & insufficiently familiar (356 respondents)
Alternative Views

32 target respondents indicated that they accept or lean toward an alternative view. The words used in their responses cluster as follows. These results are not filtered by AOS, region, etc.

  • BOTH (5): both (5)

Longitudinal comparison to 2009 survey

Geographic filters do not apply to this section.
Option 2009 2020 Change Swing
Option
Accept or lean towards: internalism 34.91% 29.63%  5.28 -4.35
2009 34.91%
2020 29.63%
Change  5.28
Swing -4.35
Accept or lean towards: externalism 29.75% 33.18%  3.43  4.35
2009 29.75%
2020 33.18%
Change  3.43
Swing  4.35
Accept a combination of views 6.34% 1.54%  4.80
2009 6.34%
2020 1.54%
Change  4.80
Accept an alternative view 0.75% 0.77%  0.02
2009 0.75%
2020 0.77%
Change  0.02
The question is too unclear to answer 4.83% 5.09%  0.26
2009 4.83%
2020 5.09%
Change  0.26
There is no fact of the matter 0.11% 1.23%  1.12
2009 0.11%
2020 1.23%
Change  1.12
Insufficiently familiar with the issue 14.82% 16.67%  1.85
2009 14.82%
2020 16.67%
Change  1.85
Agnostic/undecided 6.02% 9.72%  3.70
2009 6.02%
2020 9.72%
Change  3.70
Skipped 2.15% 1.85%  0.30
2009 2.15%
2020 1.85%
Change  0.30
Other 0.32% 0.31%  0.01
2009 0.32%
2020 0.31%
Change  0.01
N (2020) = 648
N (2009) = 931
Weighted values
Option 2009 2020 Change
Internalism 36.88 38.96 2.08
Externalism 40.74 36.55 4.19

Strongest correlations with main questions (target population)

r: 0.22
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 253 251
Reject 192 409
n: 1105
p < 0.0001
r: 0.22
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 191 290
Reject 125 446
n: 1052
p < 0.0001
r: 0.2
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 121 93
Reject 86 136
n: 436
p < 0.0001
r: 0.19
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 39 191
Reject 21 246
n: 497
p < 0.0001
r: -0.18
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 445 105
Reject 591 68
n: 1209
p < 0.0001
r: 0.18
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 98 249
Reject 75 342
n: 764
p < 0.0001
r: -0.17
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 210 95
Reject 288 75
n: 668
p < 0.0001
r: -0.15
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 93 137
Reject 134 135
n: 499
p: 0.0006
r: 0.15
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 52 500
Reject 33 628
n: 1213
p < 0.0001
r: -0.14
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 40 154
Reject 50 144
n: 388
p: 0.005
r: 0.14
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 53 252
Reject 36 327
n: 668
p: 0.0003
r: 0.14
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 53 499
Reject 26 635
n: 1213
p < 0.0001
r: -0.14
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 126 147
Reject 164 138
n: 575
p: 0.001
r: -0.14
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 388 158
Reject 503 144
n: 1193
p < 0.0001
r: -0.13
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 108 238
Reject 154 264
n: 764
p: 0.0002
r: -0.13
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 55 235
Reject 92 267
n: 649
p: 0.0009
r: -0.13
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 351 185
Reject 469 186
n: 1191
p < 0.0001
r: -0.12
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 95 211
Reject 141 209
n: 656
p: 0.0015
r: -0.12
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 143 137
Reject 176 144
n: 600
p: 0.0042
r: 0.12
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 24 281
Reject 16 347
n: 668
p: 0.0027
r: -0.11
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 48 193
Reject 76 215
n: 532
p: 0.0115
r: -0.11
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 191 297
Reject 247 305
n: 1040
p: 0.0006
r: 0.11
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 218 269
Reject 202 351
n: 1040
p: 0.0006
r: 0.11
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 83 250
Reject 53 287
n: 673
p: 0.0061
r: 0.11
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 101 205
Reject 74 276
n: 656
p: 0.007
r: 0.1
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 81 429
Reject 50 536
n: 1096
p: 0.0005
r: -0.1
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 122 356
Reject 179 397
n: 1054
p: 0.0007
r: 0.1
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 32 378
Reject 21 464
n: 895
p: 0.0018
r: -0.1
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 278 233
Reject 365 223
n: 1099
p: 0.0006
r: -0.1
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 83 156
Reject 106 166
n: 511
p: 0.0218
r: 0.1
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 14 261
Reject 10 333
n: 618
p: 0.013
r: 0.1
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 248 268
Reject 238 387
n: 1141
p: 0.0013
r: -0.09
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 355 136
Reject 469 134
n: 1094
p: 0.0017
r: 0.09
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 96 158
Reject 96 224
n: 574
p: 0.0232
r: 0.09
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 73 244
Reject 74 303
n: 694
p: 0.0127
r: 0.09
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 303 175
Reject 320 257
n: 1055
p: 0.0024
r: 0.09
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 115 161
Reject 111 217
n: 604
p: 0.0232
r: -0.09
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 153 196
Reject 221 217
n: 787
p: 0.012
r: 0.09
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 12 354
Reject 10 405
n: 781
p: 0.0132
r: -0.09
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 66 278
Reject 87 302
n: 733
p: 0.0167
r: -0.09
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 313 46
Reject 387 47
n: 793
p: 0.0134
r: 0.09
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 112 159
Reject 94 208
n: 573
p: 0.0372
r: -0.09
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 261 258
Reject 323 278
n: 1120
p: 0.0036
r: 0.09
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 262 196
Reject 275 280
n: 1013
p: 0.0057
r: -0.09
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 83 263
Reject 138 275
n: 759
p: 0.0172
r: 0.09
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 48 298
Reject 37 378
n: 761
p: 0.0175
r: -0.08
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 12 307
Reject 24 362
n: 705
p: 0.0321
r: 0.08
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 90 324
Reject 75 410
n: 899
p: 0.0156
r: 0.08
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 86 441
Reject 78 563
n: 1168
p: 0.0066
r: 0.08
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 125 428
Reject 123 530
n: 1206
p: 0.0058
r: -0.08
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 199 294
Reject 270 321
n: 1084
p: 0.0101
r: 0.08
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 117 220
Reject 139 303
n: 779
p: 0.0308
r: 0.08
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 256 107
Reject 274 155
n: 792
p: 0.0298
r: -0.08
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 281 265
Reject 371 275
n: 1192
p: 0.008
r: -0.08
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 235 115
Reject 305 105
n: 760
p: 0.0368
r: -0.07
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 20 464
Reject 27 514
n: 1025
p: 0.0206
r: -0.07
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 422 108
Reject 495 124
n: 1149
p: 0.0162
r: 0.07
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 181 327
Reject 168 416
n: 1092
p: 0.0193
r: 0.07
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 208 320
Reject 189 420
n: 1137
p: 0.0184
r: -0.07
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 241 306
Reject 308 356
n: 1211
p: 0.016
r: -0.07
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 420 137
Reject 523 133
n: 1213
p: 0.0197
r: 0.07
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 277 194
Reject 274 296
n: 1041
p: 0.0339
r: 0.06
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 441 105
Reject 484 162
n: 1192
p: 0.0322
r: 0.06
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 108 389
Reject 85 502
n: 1084
p: 0.0497
r: 0.06
Moral motivation: internalism Accept Reject
Accept 292 252
Reject 313 338
n: 1195
p: 0.043

Strongest correlations with demographic questions (target population)

r: -0.1
Moral motivation: internalism Yes No
Accept 16 431
Reject 39 440
n: 926
p: 0.0015
r: -0.1
Moral motivation: internalism Yes No
Accept 13 434
Reject 27 452
n: 926
p: 0.0034
r: -0.09
Moral motivation: internalism Yes No
Accept 11 436
Reject 22 457
n: 926
p: 0.0091
r: -0.08
Moral motivation: internalism Yes No
Accept 468 94
Reject 589 77
n: 1228
p: 0.0058
r: -0.07
Moral motivation: internalism Yes No
Accept 127 441
Reject 180 501
n: 1249
p: 0.0084
r: -0.07
Moral motivation: internalism Yes No
Accept 20 427
Reject 35 444
n: 926
p: 0.0233
r: 0.07
Moral motivation: internalism Yes No
Accept 76 492
Reject 49 632
n: 1249
p: 0.0093
r: 0.07
Moral motivation: internalism Yes No
Accept 104 464
Reject 94 587
n: 1249
p: 0.0142
r: -0.07
Moral motivation: internalism Yes No
Accept 30 417
Reject 44 435
n: 926
p: 0.0396
r: -0.07
Moral motivation: internalism Yes No
Accept 12 435
Reject 25 454
n: 926
p: 0.0423
r: -0.06
Moral motivation: internalism Yes No
Accept 57 523
Reject 91 597
n: 1268
p: 0.0303
r: 0.06
Moral motivation: internalism Yes No
Accept 36 526
Reject 31 635
n: 1228
p: 0.0337
r: -0.06
Moral motivation: internalism Yes No
Accept 15 565
Reject 26 662
n: 1268
p: 0.0311