Rethinking moral decision-making: Navigating the Trolley Problem in Virtual Reality

Title

Rethinking moral decision-making: Navigating the Trolley Problem in Virtual Reality

Abstract

Moral decision-making is traditionally assessed using text-based vignettes derived from philosophy, enabling systematic comparisons of moral principles. However, these scenarios are often contextually impoverished and fail to elicit the emotional reactions that might occur in real-life counterparts of the same moral conflict. To address this limitation, we have used Virtual Reality (VR) and Haptic VR technologies to recreate these dilemmas, finding a striking contrast between moral judgments in text-based scenarios and moral actions in VR scenarios. In this talk, I explore the implications of this work for models of moral decision-making and I reflect on the transformative potential of VR in moral psychology research.

Speaker

Dr Kathryn Francis, Keele University.

Register

All welcome to attend this public lecture, registration required. 

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Venue

This in-person lecture will take place in the Lecture Theatre, Oxford Martin School, 34 Broad St, Oxford OX1 3BD.