Assessing the automaticity of moral processing: efficient coding of moral information during narrative comprehension.

The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology : QJEP
Fionnuala C MurphyAndrew J Calder

Abstract

A long-standing theoretical debate concerns the involvement of principled reasoning versus relatively automatic intuitive-emotional processing in moral cognition. To address this, we investigated whether the mental models formed during story comprehension contain a moral dimension and whether this process is affected by cognitive load. A total of 72 participants read stories about fictional characters in a range of moral situations, such as a husband being tempted to commit adultery. Each story concluded with a "moral" or "immoral" target sentence. Consistent with a framework of efficient extraction of moral information, participants took significantly longer to read immoral than moral target sentences. Moreover, the magnitude of this effect was not compromised by cognitive load. Our findings provide evidence of efficient coding of moral dimensions during narrative comprehension and demonstrate that this process does not require cognitively intense forms of principled reasoning.

References

Oct 1, 1994·Scientific American·A R Damasio
Oct 22, 1998·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology·J W ShermanL A Frost
Sep 15, 2001·Science·J D GreeneJ D Cohen
Dec 12, 2002·Trends in Cognitive Sciences·Joshua Greene, Jonathan Haidt
Jan 17, 2003·Psychological Review·David A Pizarro, Paul Bloom
Jan 26, 2005·Trends in Cognitive Sciences·Nilli Lavie
Jul 12, 2005·Trends in Cognitive Sciences·Joshua Knobe
Nov 9, 2005·Nature Reviews. Neuroscience·Jorge MollJordan Grafman
Jan 1, 1992·Cognition & Emotion·Morton Ann GernsbacherRachel R W Robertson
Jul 1, 1998·Scientific Studies of Reading : the Official Journal of the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading·Morton Ann GernsbacherRachel R W Robertson

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Aug 2, 2011·Experimental Aging Research·Darcia NarvaezDavid E Copeland
Jul 7, 2009·Annual Review of Psychology·Philip H Winne, John C Nesbit

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.