Virtual morality: emotion and action in a simulated three-dimensional "trolley problem"

Experimentally investigating the relationship between moral judgment and action is difficult when the action of interest entails harming others. We adopt a new approach to this problem by placing subjects in an immersive, virtual reality environment that simulates the classic "trolley problem.&...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inEmotion (Washington, D.C.) Vol. 12; no. 2; p. 364
Main Authors Navarrete, C David, McDonald, Melissa M, Mott, Michael L, Asher, Benjamin
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.04.2012
Subjects
Adolescent
Adult
Arousal
Computer Simulation
Decision Making
Emotions
Ethical Theory
Female
Galvanic Skin Response
Humans
Imaging, Three-Dimensional
Judgment
Male
Morals
Problem Solving
User-Computer Interface
Young Adult
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Summary:Experimentally investigating the relationship between moral judgment and action is difficult when the action of interest entails harming others. We adopt a new approach to this problem by placing subjects in an immersive, virtual reality environment that simulates the classic "trolley problem." In this moral dilemma, the majority of research participants behaved as "moral utilitarians," either (a) acting to cause the death of one individual in order to save the lives of five others, or (b) abstaining from action, when that action would have caused five deaths versus one. Confirming the emotional distinction between moral actions and omissions, autonomic arousal was greater when the utilitarian outcome required action, and increased arousal was associated with a decreased likelihood of utilitarian-biased behavior. This pattern of results held across individuals of different gender, age, and race.
ISSN:1931-1516
DOI:10.1037/a0025561