Evaluation of the legal consequences of action affects neural activity and emotional experience during the resolution of moral dilemmas

Autor(en)
Carolina Pletti, Michela Sarlo, Daniela Palomba, Rino Rumiati, Lorella Lotto
Abstrakt

In any modern society killing is regarded as a severe violation of the legal codes that is subjected to penal judgment. Therefore, it is likely that people take legal consequences into account when deciding about the hypothetical killing of one person in classic moral dilemmas, with legal concerns contributing to decision-making. In particular, by differing for the degree of intentionality and emotional salience, Footbridge- and Trolley-type dilemmas might promote differential assignment of blame and punishment while implicating the same severity of harm. The present study was aimed at comparing the neural activity, subjective emotional reactions, and behavioral choices in two groups of participants who either took (Legal group) or did not take (No Legal group) legal consequences into account when deciding on Footbridge-type and Trolley-type moral dilemmas. Stimulus- and response-locked ERPs were measured to investigate the neural activity underlying two separate phases of the decision process. No difference in behavioral choices was found between groups. However, the No Legal group reported greater overall emotional impact, associated with lower preparation for action, suggesting greater conflict between alternative motor responses representing the different decision choices. In contrast, the Legal group showed an overall dampened affective experience during decision-making associated with greater overall action readiness and intention to act, reflecting lower conflict in responding. On these bases, we suggest that in moral dilemmas legal consequences of actions provide a sort of reference point on which people can rely to support a decision, independent of dilemma type.

Organisation(en)
Externe Organisation(en)
Università degli Studi di Padova
Journal
Brain and Cognition
Band
94
Seiten
24-31
Anzahl der Seiten
8
ISSN
0278-2626
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2015.01.004
Publikationsdatum
03-2015
Peer-reviewed
Ja
ÖFOS 2012
501011 Kognitionspsychologie, 501006 Experimentalpsychologie
Schlagwörter
ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete
Experimental and Cognitive Psychology, Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous), Cognitive Neuroscience
Link zum Portal
https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/de/publications/evaluation-of-the-legal-consequences-of-action-affects-neural-activity-and-emotional-experience-during-the-resolution-of-moral-dilemmas(4317111d-087d-4799-a78b-7ec6ae34f617).html