Distortion of Consequences

Distortion of consequences, one of eight cognitive mechanisms of moral disengagement, involves minimizing, denying, or misrepresenting the negative effects of our actions to reduce perceived moral severity and justify unethical behavior. By distorting the consequences, a person can rationalize their actions and reduce their guilt or responsibility for the harm they cause—as in “No one got hurt, so it’s fine,” “I don’t care what the statistics say, we saved jobs,” or “A little sexual banter never hurt anyone.” Also see Dehumanization or Blame-Shifting. Aspects of distortion of consequences:

• Moral justification of actions by framing them as serving a higher purpose or as necessary for a positive outcome.
• Dehumanization or perceiving victims as less than human, justifying unethical actions against them.
• Attribution of blame, shifting blame to the victim or circumstances to justify one’s actions.