Temporal Dynamics of Cognitive–Emotional Interplay in Moral Decision-making

摘要

This study investigated the temporal dynamics of emotionalnand cognitive processing underlying decision-making in moralnjudgment. Thirty-seven participants were presented with a setnof 60 dilemmas varying in whether killing one individual was annintended means to save others (instrumental dilemmas) or anforeseen but unintended consequence (incidental dilemmas).nParticipants were required to decide between Options A (lettingna specific number of people die) and B (killing one person tonsave a specific number of people). ERPs were recorded to a slidendisplaying the letters A and B while subjects were decidingnbetween the options, and movement-related potentials werenrecorded time-locked to the behavioral response, thus allowingnthe investigation of both stimulus- and response-related processesnduring decision-making. Ratings of emotional valencenand arousal experienced during decision-making were collectednafter each decision. Compared with incidental dilemmas, instrumentalndilemmas prompted a lower number of B choices andnsignificantly more unpleasant decisions. A larger P260 componentnwas found in the frontopolar and frontal areas when subjectsnwere deciding on instrumental than incidental dilemmas,npossibly reflecting an immediate affective reaction during thenearly stage of assessment and formation of preferences betweennavailable options. On the other hand, decisions on incidentalndilemmas required greater attentional resources during thenfairly controlled later processing, as reflected in the largernslow wave amplitudes. In addition, facilitation of actionnselection and implementation was found for incidental dilemmasnduring the second stage of decision-making, as supportednby the larger amplitudes of both components of thenBereitschaftspotential