Using the CNI Model to Investigate Individual Differences in Moral Dilemma Judgments

Abstract

Typical moral dilemmas pitting the consequences of a given action against the action’s consistency with moral norms confound several determinants of moral judgments. Dissociating these determinants, the CNI model allows researchers to quantify sensitivity to consequences, sensitivity to norms, and general preference for inaction over action regardless of consequences and norms. However, with the currently available set of dilemmas for research using the CNI model, the model is not suitable for studies with individual-difference designs. To overcome this limitation, the current research investigated the suitability of an extended dilemma battery to make the CNI model amenable for individual-difference research, examining relations of its parameters with psychopathy, empathic concern, need for cognition, self-reported utilitarianism, behavioral activation/inhibition, moral identity, and religiosity. The results support the suitability of the CNI model for individual-difference research with the extended dilemma battery, providing more nuanced insights into the underpinnings of individual differences in moral dilemma judgments.

Effects of Instrumentality and Personal Force on Deontological and Utilitarian Inclinations in Harm-Related Moral Dilemmas

“…Finally, our research did not consider individual differences that affect judgments and actions in moral dilemmas, such as the tendency to prefer inaction over action. For a recent suggestion how the general preference for inaction and other individual difference variables can be taken into account, see Gawronski et al (2017), and Körner et al (2020).…”

Somatic Marker Production Deficits Do Not Explain the Relationship between Psychopathic Traits and Utilitarian Moral Decision Making

“…Lastly, as utilitarian endorsement in sacrificial dilemmas is associated with taking an action (e.g., flipping a switch or pushing a man), whereas the deontological decision is associated with inaction, a propensity toward action or inaction cannot be ruled out as a potential confounder [71]. De-confounding the propensity for action and underlying moral motivation in future studies is necessary and may increase the ability to detect underlying physiological mechanisms in moral decision-making [72,73].…”

The heart as judge: Association of heart rate variability with moral judgment—A replication study

“…Empathic concern has been linked to 'deontological' preferences when analyzing the traditional moral score (e.g., Gleichgerrcht and Young, 2013;Patil and Silani, 2014). In studies using a modeling approach to estimate underlying deontic tendencies, i.e., deontology (Park et al, 2016) or sensitivity to norms (Körner et al, 2020), positive associations with empathic concerns emerged. Similarly, in our sample empathic concern was associated with the traditional score and underlying deontology-but not utilitarianism.…”