Deontological dilemma response tendencies and sensorimotor representations of harm to others
Deontological dilemma response tendencies and sensorimotor representations of harm to others
The dual process model of moral decision-making suggests that decisions to reject causing harm on moral dilemmas (where causing harm saves lives) reflect concern for others. Recently, some theorists have suggested such decisions actually reflect self-focused concern about causing harm, rather than witnessing others suffering. We examined brain activity while participants witnessed needles pierce another person’s hand, versus similar non-painful stimuli. More than a month later, participants completed moral dilemmas where causing harm either did or did not maximize outcomes. We employed process dissociation to independently assess harm-rejection (deontological) and outcome-maximization (utilitarian) response tendencies. Activity in the posterior inferior frontal cortex (pIFC) while participants witnessed others in pain predicted deontological, but not utilitarian, response tendencies. Previous brain stimulation studies have shown that the pIFC seems crucial for sensorimotor representations of observed harm. Hence, these findings suggest that deontological response tendencies reflect genuine other-oriented concern grounded in sensorimotor representations of harm.
Christov-Moore, Leonardo
5caf8a63-f90f-4e80-917a-7f6684986cd8
Conway, Paul
765aaaf9-173f-44cf-be9a-c8ffbb51e286
Iacoboni, Marco
d1fcad78-36a2-477a-88f2-9c75f75068bc
12 December 2017
Christov-Moore, Leonardo
5caf8a63-f90f-4e80-917a-7f6684986cd8
Conway, Paul
765aaaf9-173f-44cf-be9a-c8ffbb51e286
Iacoboni, Marco
d1fcad78-36a2-477a-88f2-9c75f75068bc
Christov-Moore, Leonardo, Conway, Paul and Iacoboni, Marco
(2017)
Deontological dilemma response tendencies and sensorimotor representations of harm to others.
Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, 11.
(doi:10.3389/fnint.2017.00034).
Abstract
The dual process model of moral decision-making suggests that decisions to reject causing harm on moral dilemmas (where causing harm saves lives) reflect concern for others. Recently, some theorists have suggested such decisions actually reflect self-focused concern about causing harm, rather than witnessing others suffering. We examined brain activity while participants witnessed needles pierce another person’s hand, versus similar non-painful stimuli. More than a month later, participants completed moral dilemmas where causing harm either did or did not maximize outcomes. We employed process dissociation to independently assess harm-rejection (deontological) and outcome-maximization (utilitarian) response tendencies. Activity in the posterior inferior frontal cortex (pIFC) while participants witnessed others in pain predicted deontological, but not utilitarian, response tendencies. Previous brain stimulation studies have shown that the pIFC seems crucial for sensorimotor representations of observed harm. Hence, these findings suggest that deontological response tendencies reflect genuine other-oriented concern grounded in sensorimotor representations of harm.
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Accepted/In Press date: 28 November 2017
e-pub ahead of print date: 12 December 2017
Published date: 12 December 2017
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Local EPrints ID: 473522
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/473522
ISSN: 1662-5145
PURE UUID: fcc947bb-0e5f-4a2a-841c-914ae367f152
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Date deposited: 20 Jan 2023 18:06
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 04:17
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Author:
Leonardo Christov-Moore
Author:
Paul Conway
Author:
Marco Iacoboni
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