How Uncertainty and Moral Utilitarian Ratios Predict Rationality

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaper

Abstract

Moral dilemmas involving a choice between saving the lives of 1 versus 5 have long been debated through utilitarian (e.g., Bentham, 1789) and deontological theories of moral choice (Kant, 1965). According to Greene et al.’s (2001) dual process moral utilitarian theory, moral involvement predicts utilitarian rationality in decision-making. Accordingly, Greene et al. proposed that emotional activations interfere with cognitive (rational) decision mechanisms. For example, personal involvement in moral scenarios (push a stranger) induces irrationality and decision time in choice. However, more psychological factors (e.g., utility ratios) have been found to predict rationality in personal dilemmas (Nakamura, 2012). Furthermore, theorists (Kusev et al. 2016) argued that elimination of moral uncertainty also predicts utilitarian responses. In one experiment we aimed to explore how (and whether) utility ratios, uncertainty, type of dilemma and involvement predict moral utilitarian choice. The results revealed that eliminated uncertainty and high utility ratios induced utilitarian (rational) decision preferences.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 17 Nov 2016
Event57th Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society -
Duration: 17 Nov 2016 → …

Conference

Conference57th Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society
Period17/11/16 → …

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'How Uncertainty and Moral Utilitarian Ratios Predict Rationality'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this