Moral decision-making, ToM, empathy and the default mode network

Moral decision-making involves more internally directed processing, such as self-referential thought and representation of intentions and feelings, than non-moral decision-making. Using fMRI, researchers compared brain activity when people deliberated moral versus non-moral scenarios. Greater activity appeared in parts of the Theory of Mind, empathy, and default mode networks during moral decisions. Higher scores on primary psychopathy showed a trend toward decreased brain activation in an area from dorsolateral prefrontal cortex to medial prefrontal cortex during moral versus non-moral decisions.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Automatic intuitions and deliberate reasoning, sourcing internal representations of our personal norms and values, contribute to our beliefs of what is right and wrong. We used fMRI to directly compare moral (M) and non-moral (NM) decision-making processes using scenarios requiring conscious deliberation, whereby the main character declared an intention to take a course of action. Furthermore, we examined the relationship between BOLD signal, associated with M>NM decision-making, and moral judgment competence, psychopathy, and empathy. We observed greater activity in various parts of Theory of Mind, empathy and default mode networks during M>NM decision-making. There was a trend for high scores on primary psychopathy to correlate with decreased M>NM BOLD activation in an area extending from dorsolateral prefrontal cortex to medial prefrontal cortex. We suggest that moral decision-making entails a greater degree of internally directed processing, such as self-referential mental processing and the representation of intentions and feelings, than non-moral decision-making.