EEG Correlates of Moral Decision-Making: Effect of Choices and Offers Types

Abstract

Background

Moral decision-making consists of a complex process requiring individuals to evaluate potential consequences of personal and social decisions, including applied organizational contexts.

Methods

This research aims to investigate the behavioral (offer responses and reaction times, RTs) and electrophysiological (EEG) correlates underlying moral decision-making during three different choice conditions (professional fit, company fit, and social fit) and offers (fair, unfair, and neutral).

Results

An increase of delta and theta frontal activity (related to emotional behavior and processes) and beta frontal and central activity (linked to cognitive and attentional processes) was found. A left beta, delta, and theta frontal activity was observed for fair offers in professional fit conditions, while increased right frontal delta and theta activity was found in response to unfair offers in company fit conditions. Also, an increase of left delta and theta parietal activity for unfair offers in social fit condition was detected. Finally, higher accepted responses were found for fair and neutral offers in professional and social fit conditions, with increased RTs for unfair offers suggesting decisions’ cognitive load and complexity.

Conclusions

By revealing a greater involvement of left and right frontal areas in decision-making processes based on choices and offers, personal interest evaluations and emotional values, and of parietal areas in more prosocial and altruistic moral behavior, current findings provide information about the neural and behavioral correlates underlying company moral behavior.

Keywords:

• Decisions
• electrophysiology
• manager
• morality
• neuromanagement

This article is referred to by:

Limitations of the Ultimatum Game in the Study of Moral Decisions

Toward a More Meaningful Use of EEG in Moral Neuroscience

Neuroethical Investigation of Moral Choices through Ubuntu: What Insights Can Neurophysiological Tools Provide?

ETHICAL APPROVAL

The conduction of the research followed the principles and guidelines of the Helsinki Declaration and received the approval of the local ethics committee of the Department of Psychology of the Catholic University of Milan.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

The datasets of the study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.