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Probability, measurement mismatches, and sacrificial moral decision-making
Fenella Ruth Palanca1, Bruce D Burns1
1The University of Sydney, School of Psychology, NSW 2006, Australia.
Cognition
|December 15, 2023
Summary
Uncertainty influences moral judgments. People accept sacrificing an individual more readily if their death is uncertain, but less if the group
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Moral Psychology
- Decision Science
Background:
- Decision-making is crucial, yet moral judgments under uncertainty are understudied.
- Understanding how probability shifts impact moral choices is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of probability on moral acceptability and choice.
- To explore the relationship between perceived risk and moral decision-making.
Main Methods:
- Four experiments involving 445 participants.
- Participants evaluated moral dilemmas with varying probabilities of harm.
- Analysis of judgments on moral acceptability and endorsed actions.
Main Results:
- Probability of individual's death influenced acceptability of sacrifice.
- Group's risk level also independently affected moral judgments.
- Observed mismatches between moral acceptability ratings and endorsed actions.
Conclusions:
- Moral decision-making is sensitive to probabilistic information.
- Discrepancies between acceptability and action suggest complex moral principles.
- Individual moral judgments integrate uncertainty in nuanced ways.
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