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Rehren P. The effect of cognitive load, ego depletion, induction and time restriction on moral judgments about sacrificial dilemmas: a meta-analysis. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1388966. [PMID: 38756483 PMCID: PMC11097977 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1388966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Greene's influential dual-process model of moral cognition (mDPM) proposes that when people engage in Type 2 processing, they tend to make consequentialist moral judgments. One important source of empirical support for this claim comes from studies that ask participants to make moral judgments while experimentally manipulating Type 2 processing. This paper presents a meta-analysis of the published psychological literature on the effect of four standard cognitive-processing manipulations (cognitive load; ego depletion; induction; time restriction) on moral judgments about sacrificial moral dilemmas [n = 44; k = 68; total N = 14, 003; M(N) = 194.5]. The overall pooled effect was in the direction predicted by the mDPM, but did not reach statistical significance. Restricting the dataset to effect sizes from (high-conflict) personal sacrificial dilemmas (a type of sacrificial dilemma that is often argued to be best suited for tests of the mDPM) also did not yield a significant pooled effect. The same was true for a meta-analysis of the subset of studies that allowed for analysis using the process dissociation approach [n = 8; k = 12; total N = 2, 577; M(N) = 214.8]. I argue that these results undermine one important line of evidence for the mDPM and discuss a series of potential objections against this conclusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Rehren
- Ethics Institute, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
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2
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MacLaren G. Defining dignity in higher education as an alternative to requiring 'Trigger Warnings'. Nurs Philos 2024; 25:e12474. [PMID: 38284805 DOI: 10.1111/nup.12474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
This article examines trigger warnings, particularly the call for trigger warnings on university campuses, and from a Levinasian and Kantian ethical perspective, and addresses the question: When, if ever, are trigger warnings helpful to student's learning? The nursing curriculum is developed with key stakeholders and regulatory bodies to ensure graduate nurses are competent to deliver a high standard of care to patients and clients. Practical teaching practice and published research has uncovered an increasing use of 'Trigger Warnings' before a topic is discussed, or used as warnings on core module texts. It is appreciated that some students have personal experience of psychological or physical trauma. However, apart from identifying these students through Mitigating Circumstances committees, or when the student feels confident to share this information with a personal tutor, this information remains strictly confidential. There is the potential for covert skills such as critical analysis and skilful discussion not being attained by the student. With the assistance of Kants moral theory, an argument will develop that the insidious use of Trigger warnings and the embargo of recommended reading, requires critical discussion with the public. This would involve the rationale and pedagogical justification for the use of texts, and the necessity within nursing education to address challenging clinical topics. To support students with PTSD this may involve the research discussed on personal educational needs analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon MacLaren
- School of Health Sciences, University of Dundee, Scotland, UK
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3
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Wada E, Ogawa K. Effect of Taste-Induced Mood on ERP and Emotional Assessment of Images. Percept Mot Skills 2023; 130:1852-1868. [PMID: 37335749 DOI: 10.1177/00315125231184370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Tastes affect the body and our emotions. We used tasteless, sweet, and bitter stimuli to induce participants' moods, and we examined the effect of mood on an emotional evaluation of pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant images using event-related potentials, N2, N400, and late positive potential (LPP), which reflect emotional evaluation in the brain. The results indicated that mood valence was most positive for sweetness and most negative for bitterness. Moreover, there was no significant mood effect on subjective valence ratings of emotional images. Furthermore, the N2 amplitude, which is related to the early semantic processing of preceding stimuli, was unaffected by the taste induced mood. In contrast, we found that the N400 amplitude, which is related to the mismatch of emotional valence between stimuli, increased significantly for unpleasant images when participants were in a positive rather than negative mood state. Also, the LPP amplitude, which is related to the emotional valence of images, showed only the main effect of the images' emotional valence. The N2's results suggest that the early semantic processing of taste stimuli might have had a negligible impact on emotional evaluation because taste stimuli minimize semantic processing that accompanies mood induction. In contrast, the N400 reflected the effects of the induced mood, and the LPP reflected the impact of the valence of emotional images. The use of taste stimuli to induce mood revealed different brain processing of taste-induced mood effects on emotional evaluation, including N2's involvement in semantic processing, N400's involvement in matching emotions between mood and stimuli, and LPP's involvement in subjective evaluations of stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Wada
- Integrated Arts and Human Sciences Program, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Keiko Ogawa
- Integrated Arts and Human Sciences Program, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Japan
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4
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Breakdown of utilitarian moral judgement after basolateral amygdala damage. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2119072119. [PMID: 35878039 PMCID: PMC9351380 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2119072119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Most of us would regard killing another person as morally wrong, but when the death of one saves multiple others, it can be morally permitted. According to a prominent computational dual-systems framework, in these life-and-death dilemmas, deontological (nonsacrificial) moral judgments stem from a model-free algorithm that emphasizes the intrinsic value of the sacrificial action, while utilitarian (sacrificial) moral judgments are derived from a model-based algorithm that emphasizes the outcome of the sacrificial action. Rodent decision-making research suggests that the model-based algorithm depends on the basolateral amygdala (BLA), but these findings have not yet been translated to human moral decision-making. Here, in five humans with selective, bilateral BLA damage, we show a breakdown of utilitarian sacrificial moral judgments, pointing at deficient model-based moral decision-making. Across an established set of moral dilemmas, healthy controls frequently sacrifice one person to save numerous others, but BLA-damaged humans withhold such sacrificial judgments even at the cost of thousands of lives. Our translational research confirms a neurocomputational hypothesis drawn from rodent decision-making research by indicating that the model-based algorithm which underlies outcome-based, utilitarian moral judgements in humans critically depends on the BLA.
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Maftei A, Holman AC, Gancevici O. Utilitarian choices in COVID-19 dilemmas depend on whether or not a foreign language is used and type of dilemma. ETHICS & BEHAVIOR 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/10508422.2021.1934684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Maftei
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi
| | - Andrei-Corneliu Holman
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi
| | - Olga Gancevici
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi
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Gosling CJ, Trémolière B. Reliability of moral decision-making: Evidence from the trolley dilemma. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2021; 74:981-990. [PMID: 33629641 DOI: 10.1177/17470218211001547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The application of framing effects in the field of moral judgement has offered a golden opportunity to assess the reliability of people's moral judgements and decisions. To date, however, these studies are still scarce and they suffer from multiple methodological issues. Therefore, this study aims to provide further insights into the reliability of moral judgements while fixing these methodological shortcomings. In this study, we employed the classic trolley dilemma moral decision-making paradigm to determine the extent to which moral decisions are susceptible to framing effects. A total of 1,040 participants were included in the study. The data revealed that choices of participants did not significantly differ between the two frames. Equivalence tests confirmed that the associated effect size was very small. Further exploratory analyses revealed an unplanned interaction between the framing effect and the target of the framing manipulation. This result became from marginally statistically significant to insignificant following different sensitivity analyses. The implications and limitations of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corentin J Gosling
- DysCo Lab, Paris Nanterre University, Nanterre, France
- EA7352, Nimes University, Nimes, France
- Laboratoire de Psychopathologie et Processus de Santé, Université de Paris, Paris, France
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Spears D, Okan Y, Hinojosa-Aguayo I, Perales JC, Ruz M, González F. Can induced reflection affect moral decision-making? PHILOSOPHICAL PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/09515089.2020.1861234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Spears
- Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Yasmina Okan
- Centre for Decision Research, Leeds University Business School, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Irene Hinojosa-Aguayo
- Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - José César Perales
- Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - María Ruz
- Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Felisa González
- Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
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Ramirez EJ, LaBarge S. Ethical Issues with Simulating the Bridge Problem in VR. SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ETHICS 2020; 26:3313-3331. [PMID: 33079342 DOI: 10.1007/s11948-020-00267-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We aim to generate a dilemma for virtual reality-based research that we motivate through an extended case study of Thomson's (Yale Law J 94(6):1395-1415, 1985) Bridge variant of the trolley problem. Though the problem we generate applies more broadly than the Bridge problem, we believe it makes a good exemplar of the kind of case we believe is problematic. First, we argue that simulations of these thought experiments run into a practicality horn that makes it practically impossible to produce them. These problems revolve around concepts that we call "perspectival fidelity" and "context realism." Moral dilemmas that include features present in the Bridge variant will, as a result, be practically impossible to simulate. We also argue that, should we be wrong about the practical impossibility of creating a VR simulation of Bridge, such a simulation must face an ethical horn which renders these simulations ethically impermissible to develop or use. For these reasons, we argue that it is virtually impossible to simulate the bridge problem (and other thought experiments with similar features) both practically and ethically in VR.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Scott LaBarge
- Philosophy Department, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, USA
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Bahník Š, Efendic E, Vranka MA. Sacrificing Oneself or Another: The Difference Between Prescriptive and Normative Judgments in Moral Evaluation. Psychol Rep 2020; 124:108-130. [PMID: 31928377 DOI: 10.1177/0033294119896061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
When asked whether to sacrifice oneself or another person to save others, one might think that people would consider sacrificing themselves rather than someone else as the right and appropriate course of action-thus showing an other-serving bias. So far however, most studies found instances of a self-serving bias-people say they would rather sacrifice others. In three experiments using trolley-like dilemmas, we tested whether an other-serving bias might appear as a function of judgment type. That is, participants were asked to make a prescriptive judgment (whether the described action should or should not be done) or a normative judgment (whether the action is right or wrong). We found that participants exhibited an other-serving bias only when asked whether self- or other-sacrifice is wrong. That is, when the judgment was normative and in a negative frame (in contrast to the positive frame asking whether the sacrifice is right). Otherwise, participants tended to exhibit a self-serving bias; that is, they approved sacrificing others more. The results underscore the importance of question wording and suggest that some effects on moral judgment might depend on the type of judgment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Štěpán Bahník
- The 200227Prague College of Psychosocial Studies, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Emir Efendic
- 83415Catholic University of Louvain, Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Marek A Vranka
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
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10
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Emotions and beliefs about morality can change one another. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2019; 198:102880. [PMID: 31301575 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2019.102880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Revised: 05/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
A dual-process theory postulates that belief and emotions about moral assertions can affect one another. The present study corroborated this prediction. Experiments 1, 2 and 3 showed that the pleasantness of a moral assertion - from loathing it to loving it - correlated with how strongly individuals believed it, i.e., its subjective probability. But, despite repeated testing, this relation did not occur for factual assertions. To create the correlation, it sufficed to change factual assertions, such as, "Advanced countries are democracies," into moral assertions, "Advanced countries should be democracies". Two further experiments corroborated the two-way causal relations for moral assertions. Experiment 4 showed that recall of pleasant memories about moral assertions increased their believability, and that the recall of unpleasant memories had the opposite effect. Experiment 5 showed that the creation of reasons to believe moral assertions increased the pleasantness of the emotions they evoked, and that the creation of reasons to disbelieve moral assertions had the opposite effect. Hence, emotions can change beliefs about moral assertions; and reasons can change emotions about moral assertions. We discuss the implications of these results for alternative theories of morality.
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11
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Gago B, Perea M, Sierra P, Livianos L, Cañada-Martínez A, García-Blanco A. Do affective episodes modulate moral judgment in individuals with bipolar disorder? J Affect Disord 2019; 245:289-296. [PMID: 30419529 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2018.11.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Revised: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 11/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bipolar disorder (BD) patients experience altered emotional states and deficits in social adaptation that may also be involved in deontological moral judgments in which participants have to choose whether to sacrifice one person in order to save the lives of a greater number. METHODS In the present study we compared the utilitarian responses of BD patients in their different states (euthymia, mania, depression) and healthy controls to moral dilemmas with low (impersonal dilemma) and high (personal dilemma) emotional saliency. RESULTS Our findings revealed an increased tendency to utilitarian judgments in the three groups of BD patients in impersonal dilemmas relative to healthy individuals. In addition, utilitarian responses were increased during manic and depressive episodes in personal moral dilemmas relative to control group. Furthermore, we found no differences in social adaptation between utilitarian and deontological BD responders, though the depressive BD had a lower adaptation than the euthymic individuals. LIMITATIONS The recording of response times, the exhaustive control of medication effect, or the inclusion of a non-moral condition in the battery of moral dilemmas would provide a better characterization of moral judgment in BD. CONCLUSIONS For impersonal dilemmas, BD patients exhibited more utilitarian reasoning, which is also affected by emotional engagement for personal dilemmas during acute episodes of mania and depression. Social adaptation is not associated to utilitarian reasoning, but is rather influenced by mood state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belén Gago
- University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain; "Institut Pere Mata" University Hospital, Reus, Spain
| | | | - Pilar Sierra
- University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain; "La Fe" University and Polytechnic Hospital, Avda. Fernando Abril Martorell, 106, 46026 Valencia, Spain
| | - Lorenzo Livianos
- University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain; "La Fe" University and Polytechnic Hospital, Avda. Fernando Abril Martorell, 106, 46026 Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Ana García-Blanco
- University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain; "La Fe" Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain.
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12
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Ramirez EJ. Ecological and ethical issues in virtual reality research: A call for increased scrutiny. PHILOSOPHICAL PSYCHOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/09515089.2018.1532073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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13
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Merlhiot G, Mermillod M, Le Pennec JL, Dutheil F, Mondillon L. Influence of uncertainty on framed decision-making with moral dilemma. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0197923. [PMID: 29847589 PMCID: PMC5976155 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In cases of impending natural disasters, most events are uncertain and emotionally relevant, both critical factors for decision-making. Moreover, for exposed individuals, the sensitivity to the framing of the consequences (gain or loss) and the moral judgments they have to perform (e.g., evacuate or help an injured person) constitute two central effects that have never been examined in the same context of decision-making. In a framed decision-making task with moral dilemma, we investigated whether uncertainty (i.e., unpredictably of events) and a threatening context would influence the framing effect (actions framed in loss are avoided in comparison to the ones framed in gain) and the personal intention effect (unintentional actions are more morally acceptable in comparison to intentional actions) on the perceived moral acceptability of taking action. Considering the impact of uncertainty and fear on the processes underlying these effects, we assumed that these emotions would lead to the negation of the two effects. Our results indicate that the exposure to uncertain events leads to the negation of the framing effect, but does not influence the moral acceptability and the effect of personal intention. We discuss our results in the light of dual-process models (i.e. systematic vs. heuristic), appraisal theories, and neurocognitive aspects. These elements highlight the importance of providing solutions to cope with uncertainty, both for scientists and local populations exposed to natural hazards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaëtan Merlhiot
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, LAPSCO, Physiological and Psychosocial Stress, LABEX ClerVolc, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Martial Mermillod
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, LPNC & CNRS, UMR 5105 LPNC, Grenoble, France
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, LJK & CNRS, UMR 5524 LJK, Grenoble, France
| | - Jean-Luc Le Pennec
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, IRD, OPGC, Laboratoire Magmas et Volcans, LABEX ClerVolc, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Frédéric Dutheil
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, LAPSCO, Stress physiologique et psychosocial, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Santé Travail Environnement, WittyFit, Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Australian Catholic University, Faculty of Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Laurie Mondillon
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, LAPSCO, Physiological and Psychosocial Stress, LABEX ClerVolc, Clermont-Ferrand, France
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14
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Whiting D. Emotion as the categorical basis for moral thought. PHILOSOPHICAL PSYCHOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/09515089.2018.1456653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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15
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Li Z, Wu X, Zhang L, Zhang Z. Habitual Cognitive Reappraisal Was Negatively Related to Perceived Immorality in the Harm and Fairness Domains. Front Psychol 2017; 8:1805. [PMID: 29075229 PMCID: PMC5643469 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotion plays an important role in moral judgment, and people always use emotion regulation strategies to modulate emotion, consciously or unconsciously. Previous studies had investigated only the relationship between emotion regulation strategies and moral judgment in the Harm domain, and revealed divergent results. Based on Moral Foundations Theory, the present study extended the investigation into moral judgment in all five moral domains and used a set of standardized moral vignettes. Two hundred and six college students filled in the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire and completed emotional ratings and moral judgment on moral vignettes from Moral Foundations Vignettes. Correlation analysis indicated that habitual cognitive reappraisal was negatively related to immorality rating in Harm, Fairness, and Loyalty domains. Regression analysis revealed that after controlling the effect of other variables, cognitive reappraisal negatively predicted immorality ratings in the Harm and Fairness domains. Further mediation analysis showed that emotional valence only partially explained the association between cognitive reappraisal and moral judgment in Harm area. Some other factors beyond emotional valence were suggested for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongquan Li
- School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaoyuan Wu
- School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lisong Zhang
- School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.,Institute of Disability Research, Nanjing Normal University of Special Education, Nanjing, China
| | - Ziyuan Zhang
- Department of Applied Foreign Language Studies, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
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16
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Cheng J, Jiao C, Luo Y, Cui F. Music induced happy mood suppresses the neural responses to other's pain: Evidences from an ERP study. Sci Rep 2017; 7:13054. [PMID: 29026123 PMCID: PMC5638847 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-13386-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 09/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
In the current study, we explored the time course of processing other's pain under induced happy or sad moods. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded when participants observing pictures showing others in painful or non-painful situations. Mood induction procedures were applied to the participants before the picture observation task. Happy and sad moods were induced by listening to about 10 minutes of music excerpts selected from the Chinese Affective Music System (CAMS). The ERP results revealed that the induced mood can influence the early automatic components N1, P2, and N2 but not the later top-down controlled components P3 and LPP. The difference of amplitudes elicited by painful and non-painful stimuli was significantly different only in a sad mood but not in a happy mood, which indicates that comparing to a sad mood, the participants' ability to discriminate the painful stimuli from the non-painful stimuli was weakened in a happy mood. However, this reduction of sensitivity to other's pain in a happy mood does not necessarily reduce the tendency of prosocial behaviors. These findings offer psychophysiological evidences that people's moods can influence their empathic response towards other's pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaping Cheng
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Can Jiao
- College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Faculty of humanities and social science, City University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Yuejia Luo
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
| | - Fang Cui
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
- College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
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17
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Cecchetto C, Rumiati RI, Parma V. Relative Contribution of Odour Intensity and Valence to Moral Decisions. Perception 2017; 46:447-474. [PMID: 28084905 DOI: 10.1177/0301006616689279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Meta-analytic evidence showed that the chemical senses affect moral decisions. However, how odours impact on morality is currently unclear. Through a set of three studies, we assess whether and how odour intensity biases moral choices (Study 1a), its psychophysiological responses (Study 1b), as well as the behavioural and psychophysiological effects of odour valence on moral choices (Study 2). Study 1a suggests that the presence of an odour plays a role in shaping moral choice. Study 1b reveals that of two iso-pleasant versions of the same neutral odour, only the one presented sub-threshold (vs. supra-threshold) favours deontological moral choices, those based on the principle of not harming others even when such harm provides benefits. As expected, this odour intensity effect is tracked by skin conductance responses, whereas no difference in cardiac activity - proxy for the valence dimension - is revealed. Study 2 suggests that the same neutral odour presented sub-threshold increases deontological choices even when compared to iso-intense ambiguous odour, perceived as pleasant or unpleasant by half of the participants, respectively. Skin conductance responses, as expected, track odour pleasantness, but cardiac activity fails to do so. Results are discussed in the context of mechanisms alternative to disgust induction underlying moral choices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinzia Cecchetto
- SISSA - International School for Advanced Studies, Trieste, Italy
| | - Raffaella Ida Rumiati
- SISSA - International School for Advanced Studies, Trieste, Italy; ANVUR - Agenzia Nazionale della Valutazione del sistema Universitario e della Ricerca, Roma, Italy
| | - Valentina Parma
- SISSA - International School for Advanced Studies, Trieste, Italy; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Center for Autism Research, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Crone DL, Laham SM. Utilitarian preferences or action preferences? De-confounding action and moral code in sacrificial dilemmas. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2016.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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19
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Isbell LM, Lair EC, Rovenpor DR. The Impact of Affect on Out-Group Judgments Depends on Dominant Information-Processing Styles: Evidence From Incidental and Integral Affect Paradigms. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2016; 42:485-97. [PMID: 26984013 DOI: 10.1177/0146167216634061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Two studies tested the affect-as-cognitive-feedback model, in which positive and negative affective states are not uniquely associated with particular processing styles, but rather serve as feedback about currently accessible processing styles. The studies extend existing work by investigating (a) both incidental and integral affect, (b) out-group judgments, and (c) downstream consequences. We manipulated processing styles and either incidental (Study 1) or integral (Study 2) affect and measured perceptions of out-group homogeneity. Positive (relative to negative) affect increased out-group homogeneity judgments when global processing was primed, but under local priming, the effect reversed (Studies 1 and 2). A similar interactive effect emerged on attributions, which had downstream consequences for behavioral intentions (Study 2). These results demonstrate that both incidental and integral affect do not directly produce specific processing styles, but rather influence thinking by providing feedback about currently accessible processing styles.
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Chan YL, Gu X, Ng JCK, Tse CS. Effects of dilemma type, language, and emotion arousal on utilitarianvsdeontological choice to moral dilemmas in Chinese-English bilinguals. ASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/ajsp.12123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuen-Lai Chan
- Department of Educational Psychology; The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Hong Kong
| | - Xuan Gu
- Department of Educational Psychology; The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Hong Kong
| | - Jacky Chi-Kit Ng
- Department of Psychology; The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Hong Kong
| | - Chi-Shing Tse
- Department of Educational Psychology; The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Hong Kong
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Abstract
Neuroscientists are now discovering how hormones and brain chemicals shape social behavior, opening potential avenues for pharmacological manipulation of ethical values. Here, we review recent studies showing how altering brain chemistry can alter moral judgment and behavior, focusing in particular on the neuromodulator serotonin and its role in shaping values related to harm and fairness. We synthesize previous findings and consider the potential mechanisms through which serotonin could increase the aversion to harming others. We present a process model whereby serotonin influences social behavior by shifting social preferences in the positive direction, enhancing the value people place on others’ outcomes. This model may explain previous findings relating serotonin function to prosocial behavior, and makes new predictions regarding how serotonin may influence the neural computation of value in social contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenifer Z Siegel
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Greene JD. The rise of moral cognition. Cognition 2014; 135:39-42. [PMID: 25498900 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2014.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2014] [Revised: 11/15/2014] [Accepted: 11/17/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The field of moral cognition has grown rapidly in recent years thanks in no small part to Cognition. Consistent with its interdisciplinary tradition, Cognition encouraged the growth of this field by supporting empirical research conducted by philosophers as well as research native to neighboring fields such as social psychology, evolutionary game theory, and behavioral economics. This research has been exceptionally diverse both in its content and methodology. I argue that this is because morality is unified at the functional level, but not at the cognitive level, much as vehicles are unified by shared function rather than shared mechanics. Research in moral cognition, then, has progressed by explaining the phenomena that we identify as "moral" (for high-level functional reasons) in terms of diverse cognitive components that are not specific to morality. In light of this, research on moral cognition may continue to flourish, not as the identification and characterization of distinctive moral processes, but as a testing ground for theories of high-level, integrative cognitive function.
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Carmona-Perera M, Reyes Del Paso GA, Pérez-García M, Verdejo-García A. Heart rate correlates of utilitarian moral decision-making in alcoholism. Drug Alcohol Depend 2013; 133:413-9. [PMID: 23880247 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2013.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2013] [Revised: 06/08/2013] [Accepted: 06/25/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies of moral reasoning in patients with alcohol use disorders have indicated a 'utilitarian' bias, whereby patients are more likely to endorse emotionally aversive actions in favor of aggregate welfare (e.g., to kill a person in order to save a group of people). The aim of the present study was to examine psychophysiological correlates of this tendency indexed by heart rate. METHODS The sample was composed by 31 alcohol-dependent individuals and 34 healthy controls without alcohol use disorders. Electrocardiogram was recorded at rest and during execution of a validated moral judgment task, including non-moral scenarios, and moral dilemmas that were either high in emotional salience ("personal scenarios") or low in emotional salience ("impersonal scenarios"). RESULTS Alcohol-dependent individuals showed a blunted response to moral dilemmas. Furthermore, healthy controls displayed decreased heart rate to the personal vs. impersonal or non-moral scenarios, while alcohol-dependent individuals failed to differentiate dilemmas in terms of heart rate both prior decision-making and its post appraisal. These deficits were not related to baseline differences in Heart Rate. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that alcohol-dependent individuals failed to engage emotional aversive reactions to personal moral violations in terms of heart rate response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Carmona-Perera
- Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatment School of Psychology, University of Granada, Campus Cartuja s/n. 18071 Granada, Spain.
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Carmona-Perera M, Martí-García C, Pérez-García M, Verdejo-García A. Valence of emotions and moral decision-making: increased pleasantness to pleasant images and decreased unpleasantness to unpleasant images are associated with utilitarian choices in healthy adults. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:626. [PMID: 24133433 PMCID: PMC3783947 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2013] [Accepted: 09/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Moral decision-making is a key asset for humans’ integration in social contexts, and the way we decide about moral issues seems to be strongly influenced by emotions. For example, individuals with deficits in emotional processing tend to deliver more utilitarian choices (accepting an emotionally aversive action in favor of communitarian well-being). However, little is known about the association between emotional experience and moral-related patterns of choice. We investigated whether subjective reactivity to emotional stimuli, in terms of valence, arousal, and dominance, is associated with moral decision-making in 95 healthy adults. They answered to a set of moral and non-moral dilemmas and assessed emotional experience in valence, arousal and dominance dimensions in response to neutral, pleasant, unpleasant non-moral, and unpleasant moral pictures. Results showed significant correlations between less unpleasantness to negative stimuli, more pleasantness to positive stimuli and higher proportion of utilitarian choices. We also found a positive association between higher arousal ratings to negative moral laden pictures and more utilitarian choices. Low dominance was associated with greater perceived difficulty over moral judgment. These behavioral results are in fitting with the proposed role of emotional experience in moral choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Carmona-Perera
- Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatment, University of Granada Granada, Spain
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