| Autor: |
Caspar EA; Moral & Social Brain Lab, Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium., Pech GP; Center for Research in Cognition and Neuroscience, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium. |
| Jazyk: |
angličtina |
| Zdroj: |
Social neuroscience [Soc Neurosci] 2024 Apr; Vol. 19 (2), pp. 94-105. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jul 08. |
| DOI: |
10.1080/17470919.2024.2376049 |
| Abstrakt: |
How obeying orders impacts moral decision-making remains an open question, despite its significant societal implications. The goal of this study was to determine if cognitive conflict, indexed by mid-frontal theta activity observed before an action, is influenced by the context of obedience. Participants came in pairs and were assigned roles as either agent or victim. Those in the agent role could either decide freely or follow the experimenter's instructions to administer (or refrain from administering) a mildly painful electric shock to the victim in exchange for a small monetary reward. Mid-frontal theta activity was recorded before the agent made their keypress. Results indicated that mid-frontal theta activity was reduced when participants obeyed the experimenter's orders compared to when they acted of their own volition, even though the outcomes of the actions were similar. This finding suggests that obeying orders diminishes cognitive conflict preceding moral decisions that could harm another person. This study sheds light on a potential mechanism explaining how obedience can blurr morality and lessen our natural aversion to harming others. |
| Databáze: |
MEDLINE |
| Externí odkaz: |
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