Emotion and social motivation in university students´ real life moral dilemmas

Abstract

Studied the relationship between motivation and approaches to moral decision-making, and the emotions experienced in moral dilemmas. 44 students were interviewed about a dilemma they had faced. Intimacy was related to a preference for making decisions after having consulted others and to being open to their values and norms, whereas achievement was related to consequence-oriented reasoning and concrete construal of moral problems. When asked to relive their moral dilemma, participants scored lower than their baseline level on a mood questionnaire, females scoring lower than the males. Possible implications of emotion on cognitive processes involved in solving moral dilemmas are discussed.