In the Rhythm of Morality: The Effects of National Anthems on Utilitarian Moral Judgments in the USA and China

We investigated whether listening to a national anthem influences utilitarian moral judgements. In a preregistered experiment with American ( n  = 264) and Chinese ( n  = 264) participants, we compared participants who listened to their own national anthem with those who listened to a control piece of music. Participants reported their emotions, completed three utilitarian measures (trolley and footbridge dilemmas; Oxford Utilitarianism Scale; the CNI model), answered questions about national attachment (national identity and collective narcissism) and demographics. Participants (both American and Chinese) who heard their national anthem were less willing to endorse instrumental harm than those who listened to a control song. Serial mediation analyses further revealed that similar reductions in utilitarian responding emerged for impartial beneficence and trolley dilemma. Across models, a consistent mechanism appeared: the anthem increased pride, which then shaped national attachment leading to change in utilitarian outcome. These findings suggest that national anthems can influence utilitarian moral judgments by increasing pride that activates identity-related processes shifting preferences regarding choices consistent with utilitarianism.