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Pushing moral buttons: the interaction between personal force and intention in moral judgment
Joshua D Greene1, Fiery A Cushman, Lisa E Stewart
1Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. jdgreene@wjh.harvard.edu
Cognition
|April 21, 2009
Summary
Moral judgments vary based on the agent's intention and the "personal force" used. Pushing someone involves personal force, influencing moral acceptability differently than foreseen harm.
Area of Science:
- Moral Psychology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Moral judgments often involve sacrificing one life to save several.
- Previous research identified intention and directness/personalness as key factors.
- Existing studies do not fully integrate these factors or control for real-world expectations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To integrate the factors of intention and personalness/directness in moral judgment.
- To introduce and examine the concept of "personal force" as a novel factor.
- To investigate the interaction between personal force and intention in moral decision-making.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments were conducted to test the influence of personal force and intention.
- Personal force was defined as harm generated by the agent's muscles (e.g., pushing).
- A novel method was used to control for real-world expectations in hypothetical dilemmas.
Main Results:
- Personal force significantly influences moral judgments, distinct from physical contact or proximity.
- An interaction was found between personal force and intention.
- The impact of personal force on moral judgment is contingent upon the agent's intention.
Conclusions:
- Personal force is a crucial factor in moral judgments, particularly when harm is intended.
- The interplay between personal force and intention provides a more nuanced understanding of moral decision-making.
- The findings offer insights into the psychological mechanisms underlying moral evaluations.
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