People like to believe that misdeeds do not escape punishment. However, do people expect that some kinds of sins are particularly punished by “the universe,” not just by society? Five experiments (N = 1184) found that people expected more cosmic punishment for transgressions of sacred rules than transgressions of secular rules or conventions (Studies 1–3) and that this “sacred effect” holds even after violations have been punished by society (Study 4a-4b). In Study 1, participants expected more cosmic punishment for a person who had sex with a cousin (sacred taboo) than sex with a subordinate (secular harm) or sex with a family associate (convention violation). In Study 2, people expected more cosmic punishment for eating a bald eagle (sacred violation) than eating an endangered puffin (secular violation) or a farm-raised emu (convention violation). In Study 3, Hindus expected more cosmic punishment for entering a temple wearing shoes (sacred violation) rather than entering a temple wearing revealing clothing (secular violation) or sunglasses (convention violation). In all three studies, this “sacred effect” was mediated by the perceived blasphemy rather than the perceived harm, immorality, or unusualness of the violations. Study 4a measured both expectations of societal and cosmic punishment, and Study 4b measured expectations of cosmic punishment after each violation had received societal punishment. Even after violations received societal punishment, people expected more cosmic punishment for sacred violations than secular or convention violations. Results are discussed in relation to models of immanent justice and just world beliefs.

人们喜欢相信，不当行为不会逃脱惩罚。然而，人们是否期望某些罪恶受到“宇宙”的特别惩罚，而不仅仅是社会？五次实验（N = 1184) 发现，与违反世俗规则或习俗相比，人们期望对违反神圣规则的宇宙惩罚更多（研究 1-3），并且这种“神圣效果”甚至在社会惩罚违规行为后仍然存在（研究 4a-4b） . 在研究 1 中，与与下属发生性关系（世俗伤害）或与家庭伙伴发生性关系（违反公约）相比，参与者预计与表亲发生性关系（神圣禁忌）的人会受到更多的宇宙惩罚。在研究 2 中，与食用濒临灭绝的海鹦（世俗违反）或农场饲养的鸸鹋（违反公约）相比，人们预计吃白头鹰（违反神圣）会受到更多的宇宙惩罚。在研究 3 中，印度教徒预计穿着鞋子进入寺庙（神圣的侵犯）而不是穿着暴露的衣服（世俗侵犯）或太阳镜（违反公约）进入寺庙会受到更多的宇宙惩罚。在所有这三项研究中，这种“神圣效果”是由感知到的亵渎行为而不是感知到的伤害、不道德或违规行为的异常来调节的。研究 4a 测量了社会惩罚和宇宙惩罚的预期，研究 4b 测量了每次违规行为受到社会惩罚后宇宙惩罚的预期。即使在违规行为受到社会惩罚之后，人们仍期望对神圣违规行为的宇宙惩罚比世俗或公约违规行为更多。讨论结果与内在正义和正义世界信念的模型有关。这种“神圣效果”是由感知到的亵渎而不是感知到的伤害、不道德或违规行为的不寻常来调节的。研究 4a 测量了社会惩罚和宇宙惩罚的预期，研究 4b 测量了每次违规行为受到社会惩罚后宇宙惩罚的预期。即使在违规行为受到社会惩罚之后，人们仍期望对神圣违规行为的宇宙惩罚比世俗或公约违规行为更多。讨论结果与内在正义和正义世界信念的模型有关。这种“神圣效果”是由感知到的亵渎而不是感知到的伤害、不道德或违规行为的不寻常来调节的。研究 4a 测量了社会惩罚和宇宙惩罚的预期，研究 4b 测量了每次违规行为受到社会惩罚后宇宙惩罚的预期。即使在违规行为受到社会惩罚之后，人们仍期望对神圣违规行为的宇宙惩罚比世俗或公约违规行为更多。讨论结果与内在正义和正义世界信念的模型有关。即使在违规行为受到社会惩罚之后，人们仍期望对神圣违规行为的宇宙惩罚比世俗或公约违规行为更多。讨论结果与内在正义和正义世界信念的模型有关。即使在违规行为受到社会惩罚之后，人们仍期望对神圣违规行为的宇宙惩罚比世俗或公约违规行为更多。讨论结果与内在正义和正义世界信念的模型有关。