Abstract

The mainstream version of the dual-process model of moral cognition claims that utilitarian responses (URs) to sacrificial moral dilemmas are the outputs of controlled cognitive processes. This version predicts that interfering with cognitive resources should elicit more intuitive-deontological responses. Attempts in the literature to experimentally confirm this prediction have been inconclusive. Some experiments partially confirm the prediction, but others suggest that URs are slightly favoured in the time-pressure condition. We present a sequence of four studies with the same background design (total N = 2261) implementing extreme time-pressure. Our data consistently suggest that time-pressure increases URs. The effect is small, but the trend is stable. When confronted with sacrificial dilemmas, our samples slightly favour URs under time pressure. Models of moral cognition should be prepared to include both deontological and utilitarian intuitions as part of the basic structure of moral processing.

摘要

道德认知双过程模型的主流版本声称，对牺牲性道德困境的功利性反应（UR）是受控认知过程的输出。该版本预测干扰认知资源应引起更直观的本体论反应。文献中尝试通过实验证实这一预测尚未定论。一些实验部分地证实了这一预测，但另一些实验则表明在时间压力条件下，URs稍受青睐。我们以相同的背景设计提出了四项研究的序列（总N = 2261）实施极端时间压力。我们的数据始终表明时间压力会增加UR。效果虽小，但趋势是稳定的。面对牺牲困境时，我们的样本在时间压力下稍微偏爱UR。道德认知模型应准备好包括道义和功利主义直觉，作为道德加工基本结构的一部分。