Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Reason and Intuition01:37

Reason and Intuition

6.4K
The human brain processes information for decision-making using one of two routes: an intuitive system and a rational system (Epstein, 1994; popularized by Kahneman, 2011 as System 1 and System 2, respectively). The intuitive system is quick, impulsive, and operates with minimal effort, relying on emotions or habits to provide cues for what to do next, while the rational system is logical, analytical, deliberate, and methodical. Research in neuropsychology suggests that the...
6.4K
Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development01:19

Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development

41
Kohlberg's theory of moral development uses the Heinz dilemma — a thought experiment in which a man, Heinz, must decide whether to steal an unaffordable drug to save his dying wife — to illustrate the evolution of moral reasoning. This framework, divided into three levels with two stages, highlights how individuals' understanding of right and wrong becomes increasingly complex.
Pre-Conventional Level
At the pre-conventional level, morality is primarily driven by personal...
41
Decision Making01:20

Decision Making

86
Decision-making is a fundamental cognitive process that involves evaluating alternatives and selecting among them. This process can range from simple choices, such as deciding what to wear, to complex decisions, like choosing a major in college or a career path. The complexity of the decision often dictates the approach we use, which can be broadly categorized into two types: automatic and controlled decision-making.
Automatic decision-making is fast, intuitive, and relies on gut feelings...
86
Organization of the Brain01:30

Organization of the Brain

708
The brain is an integral component of the nervous system and serves as the center for processing sensory inputs, making decisions, and directing bodily actions. This complex organ is organized into three primary sections: the hindbrain, midbrain, and forebrain, each responsible for a range of vital functions.
Hindbrain
The hindbrain, located at the base of the brain, plays a vital role in regulating automatic processes that sustain life. It includes the medulla oblongata, which is essential for...
708
Empathy02:34

Empathy

9.5K
Some researchers suggest that altruism operates on empathy. Empathy is the capacity to understand another person’s perspective, to feel what he or she feels. An empathetic person makes an emotional connection with others and feels compelled to help (Batson, 1991). Empathy can be expressed in several ways, including cognitive, affective, and motor. 
9.5K
Functional Brain Systems: Limbic System01:15

Functional Brain Systems: Limbic System

2.2K
The limbic system, often called the "emotional brain," is a complex set of structures located deep within the brain. The intricate network of the limbic system supports a wide range of psychological functions, from emotional regulation to memory formation and sensory processing. This functional brain region encompasses specific parts of the diencephalon and the cerebrum, integrating the higher mental functions of the cerebral cortex with the primitive emotional responses of the deep...
2.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Antagonism shapes social maps in the human brain.

Communications psychology·2026
Same author

Preliminary evidence for context-dependent modulation of interoceptive signals in social evaluation.

Biological psychology·2026
Same author

Atypical Tactile Expressions Using Japanese Ideophones in Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Journal of autism and developmental disorders·2026
Same author

The salience network is activated during self-recognition from both first-person and third-person perspectives.

Human brain mapping·2022
Same author

Mutual synchronization of eyeblinks between dogs/cats and humans.

Current zoology·2022
Same author

Early phase of pupil dilation is mediated by the peripheral parasympathetic pathway.

Journal of neurophysiology·2021
Same journal

Brain Aging in Specific Phobia: An ENIGMA-Anxiety Mega-Analysis.

Human brain mapping·2026
Same journal

Talking to the Brain: Using Large Language Models as Proxies to Model Brain Semantic Features.

Human brain mapping·2026
Same journal

Emotional Context Modulates the Response to Somatosensory Stimuli Within 20 milliseconds.

Human brain mapping·2026
Same journal

GABAergic Modulation of Brain Function During Prosaccade and Antisaccade Eye Movements: Evidence From Ultra-High-Field fMRI.

Human brain mapping·2026
Same journal

Injury Severity Influences Long-Term Cognitive Control in Pediatric "Mild" Traumatic Brain Injury.

Human brain mapping·2026
Same journal

Early Adulthood Signatures of Motherhood in Brain Aging.

Human brain mapping·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 4, 2025

Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses
06:42

Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses

Published on: September 28, 2018

11.6K

Interoceptive Brain Processing Influences Moral Decision Making.

Shengbin Cui1, Tamami Nakano2,3

  • 1Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.

Human Brain Mapping
|December 25, 2024
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study shows the brain uses internal body signals, measured by heartbeat-evoked potentials (HEPs), to guide moral decisions between utilitarian and deontological choices. These internal signals influence how we process moral dilemmas.

Keywords:
EEGalexithymiaheartbeat‐evoked potentialinteroceptionmoral decision‐making

More Related Videos

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Observing Virtual Social Interactions
10:45

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Observing Virtual Social Interactions

Published on: July 6, 2011

11.6K
The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
08:24

The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies

Published on: August 25, 2023

634

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 4, 2025

Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses
06:42

Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses

Published on: September 28, 2018

11.6K
Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Observing Virtual Social Interactions
10:45

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Observing Virtual Social Interactions

Published on: July 6, 2011

11.6K
The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
08:24

The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies

Published on: August 25, 2023

634

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Moral Psychology
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Moral decision-making involves balancing consequences (utilitarianism) and actions (deontology).
  • Interoception, the sense of the body's internal state, may influence complex cognitive processes like moral judgment.
  • Heartbeat-evoked potentials (HEPs) provide a neural measure of cardiac interoception.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of interoceptive processing in neural mechanisms underlying utilitarian versus deontological moral decision-making.
  • To examine how cardiac interoception, via HEPs, differentiates neural responses to moral dilemmas.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) to record neural and cardiac activity.
  • Participants (N=27) made utilitarian and deontological decisions for personal and impersonal moral dilemmas.
  • Analyzed heartbeat-evoked potentials (HEPs) during scenario presentation and decision phases.

Main Results:

  • No significant differences in HEPs were found between personal and impersonal moral dilemmas.
  • Differential HEPs were observed between utilitarian and deontological moral decision-making, irrespective of dilemma type.
  • Specific differences in HEP amplitude occurred during scenario and decision phases over distinct brain regions, confirmed to be non-artifactual.

Conclusions:

  • Interoceptive processing, as reflected by HEPs, plays a distinct role in differentiating utilitarian from deontological moral decision-making.
  • The brain integrates interoceptive signals to inform subsequent moral judgments.
  • These findings highlight the neural basis of how bodily states influence complex moral cognition.