MORAL DECISION MAKING IN THE CONTEXT OF THE INTERNET: THE EFFECT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTANCE

Abstract

The theory of moral reasoning suggests human beings uniquely employ a higher order cognitive ability that allows the consideration of moral principles, as well as the context in which a moral dilemma exists, when making moral decisions. Moral dilemmas are called dilemmas because there are no right or wrong answers. Rather, the decision-making process in the face of a moral dilemma requires the consideration of social norms (e.g., laws) as well as human principles (e.g., what is “right” versus what is “wrong”).Modern technological change is rapidly transforming the ways in which people perceive, analyze, and interact. Internet-connected devices have broadened our social horizons by enabling us to engage globally, but has also created a ‘cyber’ space that includes distance as an inherent component of that space. In fact, some have argued that technology can create a psychological distance among those who communicate through technology. The construction of thoughts that occur at dimensionally remote points in time and space have been shown to influence one’s representation and reasoning (Liberman & Trope, 1998). This particular distance has the capability of disrupting typical moral values to the degree that one’s moral reasoning will function differently when activated in cyberspace as opposed to face-to-face interaction. The purpose of the current study is to describe the relationship between psychological distance and moral decision making in the context of cyberspace. It was hypothesized that participants would be less likely to answer moral scenarios truthfully when asked on the online platform. Specifically, we are interested in determining whether moral reasoning processes are altered when interacting with others in cyberspace that would not otherwise occur when interacting with others face-to-face. This study did not find statistically significant differences between conditions in moral decision making.