U.S. and Indian Adults’ Perceptions of Superhero and Supervillain Moral Transgressions (2024)

Martin, J. F., & Kapoor, H. (2024). It’s worse if Superman does it: Perceptions of moral transgressions committed by superheroes and supervillains. Heroism Science, 9(1), Article 7. https://doi.org/10.26736/hs.2024.01.08

• Examined how individuals perceive moral transgressions by their favorite superhero/villain in a quasi-experimental design.

• Participants (N = 363, predominantly White/Caucasian and South Asian) assessed characters’ likability, character traits, and moral evaluations.

• Overall, superheroes were evaluated more negatively than supervillains, although some results were qualified by culture and order effects.

“Given the dearth of research on superheroes and supervillains, questions concerning the extent and nature of (apparent) normative and contextual features that influence people’s understanding of these characters are open ones. Are evaluations of certain acts committed by superheroes and supervillains more prone to certain localized cultural norms and understandings than others? What about attributions of certain traits?”