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Modular morals: Mapping the organization of the moral brain
James Wilkinson1, Oliver Scott Curry2, Brittany L Mitchell3
1Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; School of Business and Economics, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Brain and Cognition
|August 22, 2024
Summary
Morality may arise from multiple specialized brain mechanisms or a general one. Neuroimaging suggests a combination, but specific brain regions for moral values were not identified in grey matter.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Evolutionary Psychology
- Moral Psychology
Background:
- Morality is theorized as a set of solutions to cooperation problems in social life.
- The 'morality as cooperation' theory identifies seven specific moral domains.
- The neuroanatomical basis of these moral domains remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neuroanatomical implementation of morality.
- To distinguish between domain-specific, domain-general, or combined adaptations for morality.
- To test the relationship between moral values and grey matter volume.
Main Methods:
- Anatomical likelihood estimation meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies on seven moral domains.
- Neuroimaging study (n=607) correlating moral values (Morality as Cooperation Questionnaire) with grey matter volume.
Main Results:
- Meta-analysis suggested a combination of domain-specific and domain-general adaptations for morality.
- No significant associations were found between the seven moral values and grey matter volume in the neuroimaging sample.
Conclusions:
- The neuroanatomical localization of morality, if it exists, may not be evident in grey matter volume.
- Future research should explore alternative measures of brain function and utilize phylogenetically informed predictions.
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