| dc.description.abstract | Morality is often described as a compass, that provides directions for good and bad, right and wrong, which may include both universal and subjective aspects. People rely on morality to evaluate situations, make judgments or decisions that lead to behaviors. Study 1 examined the relationship between physical contact and decision type in predicting “harm to save” behavior. In the choice condition only, participants reported significantly less utilitarian responses to the dilemmas that required having physical contact with the person to be harmed than dilemmas that did not require physical contact. This difference was not found in the judgment condition. Study 2 examined the relationships among moral foundations, political ideology, and controversial social issues in an Asian culture. Results indicated that binding foundations (i.e. Ingroup, Authority, and Purity) were associated with conservative tendencies, and individualizing foundations (i.e. Harm and Fairness) were associated with liberal tendencies. Also, participants who scored higher on Authority showed higher approval of death penalty, and those scored higher on Purity showed lower approval of euthanasia. Study 3 examined the associations among moral foundations, judicial judgments, and judgment bias. Results showed that age and education level predicted judgment in the community group only was. This group also registered significant changes to their decisions when the reference point changed, while the legal professional group did not register such change Results from these studies showed the wide range of effects that morality, from conceptual to practical aspects, on decision making, stands on controversial issues, as well as behaviors. | en_US |