Are Moral Intuitions Heritable?

Area of Science:

• Moral Psychology
• Behavioral Genetics

Background:

• Two major theories of moral psychology, Moral Foundations Theory and Dual Process Theory, assume individual differences in morality are dispositional and heritable.
• A prior heritability study using Moral Foundations Theory measures found minimal genetic influence, questioning this core assumption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the heritability of moral psychology using the moral dilemmas approach.
• To reconcile conflicting findings regarding genetic influences on moral judgments.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the moral dilemmas approach, commonly employed in Dual Process Theory research.
• Assessed heritability of moral judgments through this specific methodology.

Main Results:

• Found consistent and significant evidence of heritability in moral psychology.
• Demonstrated that the moral dilemmas approach effectively captures genetically influenced aspects of moral decision-making.

Conclusions:

• The moral dilemmas approach provides valid measures of heritable individual differences in moral psychology.
• Findings support the utility of Dual Process Theory and suggest specific measures are crucial for identifying genetic influences on morality.