Publications

Journal Article

This research investigated the role of contemplation, conversation (conceptualized as social contemplation), and explanations in right-wrong decisions.

Several theories suggest that contemplation or morally-oriented conversations will promote ethical decisions and that immediate choice or self-interested conversations will not; other theories suggest that individuals’ explanations will reinforce their decisions.

An experimental task tempting people to lie supported all of these predictions. In addition, truth-tellers viewed the situation as morally-oriented and non-truth-tellers viewed it as oriented around self-interest, both before and after their decisions.

These findings provided the basis for a new, process model of moral decision making.