Embodiment in Moral Judgment

Abstract

Moral judgment is a kind of evaluation and judgment about certain types of behaviors which individuals make to distinguish good from evil and right from wrong. With the rise of embodied cognition theory, the studies of embodiment in moral judgment are subsequently carried out. Researchers on embodiment in moral judgment mainly focus on three aspects, namely physical cleanliness and disgust, physical temperature and body movement. Researchers explain embodied effect in moral judgment from the perspective of Psychological Development proposed by Piaget and Vygotsky respectively, Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Evolutionary Psychology. Considering the fact that physical variables can influence moral judgment through emotion and cognition, future research should integrate embodied approach of moral judgment with existed theories of moral judgment. And researchers should make clear of the relationship between embodiment in moral judgment and moral intuition. Future research should further explore the timeliness and dynamic, discuss the relevant moderator variables and individual differences, and make cross-cultural comparisons under the perspective of embodied effect.