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Prior research suggests that preference for utilitarian over deontological judgments is greater when people make moral decisions in groups vs. individually (Curşeu et al., 2020; Keshmirian et al., 2022). The current study will explore this phenomenon using the CNI model to decompose sensitivity to consequences (C), sensitivity to moral norms (N), and general preference for inaction versus action (I) in responses to moral dilemmas (Gawronski et al., 2017).

Our study draws from previous research conducted in the area of evolutionary and social psychology. Preceding papers showed that not only ‘what is beautiful is good’ - a phenomenon known as ‘halo effect’ (Forgas & Laham, 2017; Nisbett & Wilson, 1977), but also that ‘what is good is beautiful’ (Dion et al., 1972; Gross & Crofton, 1977; Little et al., 2006). Numerous studies demonstrated that individuals who: are more humorous (Hall & Compton, 2017; Tornquist & Chiappe, 2015), more intelligent (Hanko et al., 2004; Jonason et al., 2019), more risk-taking (Kelly & Dunbar, 2001; Bassett & Moss, 2004; Sylwester & Pawłowski, 2011), have higher social status (Dunn & Searle, 2010; Dunn & Hill, 2014), are more altruistic (Margana et al., 2019; Farrelly, 2011) or more creative (Watkins, 2017; Kaufman et al., 2014) appear to be more attractive to potential mates in the context of short-term or long-term relationships. Some studies suggested that hobbies may positively influence the ratings of attractiveness as well (Bongard et al. 2019; Tifferet et al. 2012) Based on these premises, and taking into account meagre data on the connection between hobbies and attractiveness, we intend to investigate if general information about having a hobby increases the attractiveness of a person of the opposite sex. We also want to investigate if specific hobbies are associated with traits that have been previously shown to be desired in a potential partner.

In 2020, the SARS-COV-2 pandemic forced countries across the world to enforce measures such as wearing face masks. An important aspect of mask-wearing is that masks mainly protect other individuals, while causing a discomfort for the wearer. Therefore, the motivation to comply with such rules is altruism and mutual trust. Available vaccines leading to herd immunity might be the end of such regulations, but bring about different benefits and costs depending on how many people engage. The present online study employs scenarios inspired by game theory to obtain information about determinants of mask-wearing and vaccinating behaviors. Participants will be asked to decide if they would wear a mask in different situations, e.g. with family members or strangers, where the prior knowledge provided about the interaction partner is modulated. Further, they are asked to decide whether they get vaccinated in situations where perceived costs (side effects/monetary) and perceived herd immunity/social pressure are manipulated. We would like to obtain a behavioral measure of altruism by offering a monetary reward, that can either be transferred directly to the participant (low altruism) or a beneficial organization (high altruism) (!only if funding is granted!). Validated questionnaires allow to control for other factors, such as perceived vulnerability to disease, empathy and altruism. The cross-cultural approach will help to find generalizable conclusions that can help to shape informed health policies across Europe.