This is really interesting. A recent article published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology suggests that being primed to think about moral realism can lead to more positive moral behavior. Here’s a quote from the article.

In one experiment, a street canvasser attempted to solicit donations from passersby for a charity that aids impoverished children. Participants in one set were asked a leading question to prime a belief in moral realism: “Do you agree that some things are just morally right or wrong, good or bad, wherever you happen to be from in the world?” Those in a second set were asked a question to prime belief in moral antirealism: “Do you agree that our morals and values are shaped by our culture and upbringing, so there are no absolute right answers to any moral questions?” Participants in a control set were not asked any priming question.

In this experiment, participants primed with realism were twice as likely to be donors, compared to those primed with antirealism or not primed at all.

It’s interesting that the persons don’t need to believe moral realism is true, simply considering whether or not it is true yields the shift.  Here’s a link to the full journal article.