Moral Dilemmas Research Articles

Teaching Values to Secondary School Students: An Analysis of Teachers' Practices

In this multiple case study, the focus was on how teachers in the selected schools in Narowal cultivate values in their secondary school students. To attain a comprehensive understanding, twenty teachers were purposefully selected for interviews. Qualitative content analysis using NVivo 12 software was used to analyse the gathered data. The research found that these teachers employed diverse approaches to teaching values education. They incorporated storytelling, moral dilemmas, Islamic quotes, examples, activities, games, and projects into their practices. Furthermore, they aimed to foster a positive atmosphere in the classroom by endorsing respect, cooperation, tolerance, and empathy among students. However, the teachers felt hindered by several challenges. They highlighted time constraints due to curriculum overload, the presence of large class sizes, test-oriented educational systems, a diverse student population, and limited resources as factors impeding their effectiveness. Following these findings, it is recommended across society and administration levels that support should be provided to aid secondary school teachers in delivering effective values education.

THE FRIENDSHIP OF WITOLD FRIEMANN AND ADAM MITSCHA WITH KAZIMIERZ BROCZYK RECORDED IN CORRESPONDENCE

In their youth in Lviv, Kazimierz Broczyk, a writer, and two musicians, Witold Friemann and Adam Mitscha, made an acquaintance that in time turned into a devoted lifelong friendship. Even though their fates were separated because of the WW II hardships, and they found themselves in different cities, this is how we have their correspondence kept up among them and uncovering a wide variety of different topics. Its main body is the existentialism related to their lives and moral choices. The letters exchanged by Broczyk and Friemann date back to the period of 1954 and 1967, whereas the letters of Broczyk and Mitscha are from 1962-1967.Broczyk and Friemanns friendship was of a literary and musical nature as Broczyk was the librettist of Giewont Friemanns first, unfinished operatic piece; unfortunately, the work has not survived except for small fragments in the form of songs. Mitscha was in turn Friemanns student in the Lviv period, and with time he became his faithful friend and first biographer. The Broczyks, even though not professionally connected with music, proved to be fond of it (his wife Eugenia sang in a choir) and fascinated by Friemanns compositions presented on the Polish Radio.The three friends and their families constantly suffered from health problems, which undoubtedly resulted from their war experiences and everyday hardships, as well as poor housing conditions in case of the Friemanns, whereas in case of Broczyk, also his stays in prison and deportation. Apart from that, in the letters we read about the moral dilemma they had, their attitudes and deliberations pertaining to religious beliefs. The artists also shared their creative achievements and the differences they noticed between music and words while expressing themselves (censorship issues). To that we should add diligent teaching work plus editing and translation activity, which are the essence of the epistolography referred to here. All three of them were also authors of Memoirs, which still today constitute a testimony to the bygone era as well as their personal fate and the fates of their loved ones and other people significant in their lives, all of which were part of that era too.Holiday and nameday greetings and the very touching tone of the letters and mutual concerns for each other fully show the notion of a true friendship the friendship that was strengthened by their meetings in person in Cracow, which occurred during the Friemanns holiday trips to that city.In all three houses like protective spirits our heroes wives appear full of dedication, self-sacrifice, and devotion, often adding their names to what their husbands wrote, and also their sons, who frequently caused their parents a lot of worry and trouble. Their dilemmas and dramas like in reference to Broczyks only son Szczsny are also depicted in the letters presented here in a very heartrending way.Broczyk dedicated a significant part of his letters to his fascination by nature, which he admired together with his wife, and deep reflection on evanescence, he rebuked himself for no creative fever as compared to the always creative Friemann, and for being torn, which bothered him ([...] Everything Ive done in my life has been loomed over by this curse of incompletion. Ive never properly finished anything because Ive never been exclusively devoted to anything [...]). He also had to face the passing of his beloved wife.

Thinking About Reasons for One's Choices Increases Sensitivity to Moral Norms in Moral-Dilemma Judgments.

Whereas norm-conforming (deontological) judgments have been claimed to be rooted in automatic emotional responses, outcome-maximizing (utilitarian) judgments are assumed to require reflective reasoning. Using the CNI model to disentangle factors underlying moral-dilemma judgments, the current research investigated effects of thinking about reasons on sensitivity to consequences, sensitivity to moral norms, and general action preferences. Three experiments (two preregistered) found that thinking about reasons (vs. responding intuitively or thinking about intuitions) reliably increased sensitivity to moral norms independent of processing time. Thinking about reasons had no reproducible effects on sensitivity to consequences and general action preferences. The results suggest that norm-conforming responses in moral dilemmas can arise from reflective thoughts about reasons, challenging the modal view on the role of cognitive reflection in moral-dilemma judgment. The findings highlight the importance of distinguishing between degree (high vs. low elaboration) and content (intuitions vs. reasons) as distinct aspects of cognitive reflection.

COVID-19: Falling Apart and Bouncing Back. A Collective Autoethnography Focused on Bioethics Education

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted academic life worldwide for students as well as educators. The purpose of this study is to shed light on the collective adversity experienced by international medical students and bioethics educators caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to both personal and academic life. The authors wrote their subjective memoirs and then analyzed them using a collective autoethnography method in order to find the similarities and differences between their experiences. The results reveal some consistent patterns in experience that are captured in two metaphors: Falling apart and Bouncing back. “Falling apart” involves the breakdown of daily lives during the initial stages of the pandemic, shown through subjective quotes contextualized through the authors’ commentary. The consensus is that returning home and the transition to remote education were the two main reasons for the breakdown. “Bouncing back” encompasses the authors’ recovery after the initial breakdown, achieved by acquiring new information about the virus, discovering how to continue their hobbies at home, such as working out or dancing, and learning to adjust exam expectations. At the educational level, the bioethics course, which guided students through the ethical dilemmas of the pandemic, played an important role in the recovery/bouncing back process. For that reason, we report on how it was to learn about and teach this subject during the pandemic, and how bioethics knowledge was applied for better understanding and coping with some of the moral dilemmas related to the pandemic. The study testifies to the importance of bioethics education during a pandemic and explains how this can contribute to shaping the moral resilience of future medical practitioners.

Understanding the Challenges of Intensive Care Staff in Communicating With Patients and Patients' Families During the COVID-19 Crisis: A Qualitative Exploration.

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) isolation protocols in India restricted family members of COVID-19 patients from visiting them in hospitals and in intensive care units, especially during the peak of the pandemic. This along with the elaborate personal protective equipment (PPE) created challenges for intensivists and nurses in COVID ICUs in effectively communicating with patients and patients' families, especially in shared decision-making processes. Methods This article is the outcome of a qualitative study using in-depth one-on-one interviews with 10 intensivists and four intensive care nurses in two teaching hospitals in Bengaluru, South India. Each participant, purposively selected till data saturation was reached,had spent extensive periods of time in a COVID ICU during both COVID-19 waves in 2020 and 2021.A framework of descriptive phenomenology led to the design of the study in which varied experiences and insights of participants were captured using an interview guide to understand their lived reality. The interviews were conducted online or in person between July 2021 and October 2021 and were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim.Coding of transcripts using the NVivo 12 (Burlington, MA: QSR International Pty Ltd) software helped with the thematic analysis. This was guided by interpretive phenomenological methods that derived meaning from participants' life experiences. Results Four themes involving challenges in effective communication in the COVID ICU emerged as follows: physical barriers, emotional and mental stressors, infrastructural challenges, and ethical and moral dilemmas. Sub-themes included personal protective equipment as a barrier, reduced energy levels, and isolation of family from patientsunder the domain of physical challenges; fears of the unknown, handling death of patients in isolation, and the frustrations of families were challenges under the emotional and mental domain. Infrastructural/systemic challenges included poor connectivity and insufficient mobile phones, and the absence of rules to handle interruptions. Privacy breaches, taking consent over the phone, end-of-life discussions, and medico-legal risks emerged as the subthemes under the domain of ethical and moral challenges. A mobile phone communication policy specifying usage times and operating methods, a mandatory communication and counseling training module for intensivists and intensive care nurses, and a set of protocols for highly restrictive, intensive care units in pandemic situations were recommendations and lessons learned. Conclusions The lack of face-to-face interactions was a serious barrier to communication between ICU staff and patients and their caregivers. It had a bearing on trust levels and had emotional and ethical consequences for healthcare teams to handle.Opportunities for self-care, venting of anxiety and distress, and opportunities to celebrate and reward special efforts and cooperation between consultants, residents, nurses, and technicians in stressful environments like a pandemic ICU were important to sustain empathy and keep care and communication humane.

Healthcare Workers’ Moral Distress during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review

During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers (HCWs) did not have the opportunity to provide high-quality and standard healthcare services. Research conducted during the pandemic has revealed widespread mental health problems among HCWs. Moral distress was noted as one of the critical issues that limited the performance of HCWs in providing quality care. The purpose of this scoping review was to create an overview of HCWs’ moral distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. The review was conducted according to the Arksey and O’Malley framework. A systematic literature search was performed in five database systems: Medline/PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, ProQuest, and the Cochrane Library, according to the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Relevant article titles and abstracts were retrieved. The final review included 16 publications identifying the moral distress of HCWs during the pandemic. In total, five themes characterizing the moral distress of HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic were identified: (1) a level of moral distress during the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) risk factors for moral distress during the COVID-19 pandemic; (3) moral and ethical dilemmas during the COVID-19 pandemic; (4) harm caused by moral distress to HCWs; and (5) intervention methods for reducing moral distress. The pandemic turned a health emergency into a mental health emergency for HCWs.

Decent care and decent employment: family caregivers, migrant care workers and moral dilemmas

ABSTRACT This paper examines moral dilemmas faced by family caregivers of older adults who employ live-in migrant care workers. Being both a family caregiver as well as an employer of a live-in migrant care worker often puts family members at a crossroad, where moral decisions must be made. Lacking a formal role, family members do not have a professional code of ethics or other clear rules that can guide their actions, and their choices are rooted in cultural, community, familial, and personal values. This paper discusses moral dilemmas that result from family caregivers’ dual commitment, to the wellbeing of their older sick relative who is the recipient of care, and to the wellbeing of the live-in care worker whom they employ. The paper uses relational ethics as a theoretical framework to discuss three cases that involve complex moral decision making in real life.

Beyond killing one to save five: Sensitivity to ratio and probability in moral judgment

A great deal of current research on moral judgments centers on moral dilemmas concerning tradeoffs between one and five lives. Whether one considers killing one innocent person to save five others to be morally required or impermissible has been taken to determine whether one is appealing to consequentialist or non-consequentialist reasoning. But this focus on tradeoffs between one and five may obscure more nuanced commitments involved in moral decision-making that are revealed when the numbers and ratio of lives to be traded off are varied, and when the probabilities of each outcome occurring are less than certain. Four studies examine participants' reactions to scenarios that diverge in these ways from the standard ones. Study 1 examines the extent to which people are sensitive to the ratio of lives saved to lives ended by a particular action. Study 2 verifies that the ratio rather than the difference between the two values is operative. Study 3 examines whether participants treat probabilistic harm to some as equivalent to certainly harming fewer, holding expected ratio constant. Study 4 explores an analogous issue regarding the sensitivity of probabilistic saving. Participants are remarkably sensitive to expected ratio for probabilistic harms while deviating from expected value for probabilistic saving. Collectively, the studies provide evidence that people's moral judgments are consistent with the principle of threshold deontology.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Moral Comfort Questionnaire.

Background and Purpose: The ethical challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic have contributed to an increase in moral distress (MD) in nurses-a long-standing, ubiquitous issue in nursing-highlighting its detrimental impact on nurses, patients, and healthcare organizations. MD is the negative outcome of a moral situation or dilemma in which a nurse is prevented from taking action on ethical decisions usually related to organizational constraints. On the opposite end of the spectrum, moral comfort (MC), an emerging concept in nursing, is an individual's feelings of ease with decisions and actions related to a moral dilemma or the positive outcome of a moral situation or dilemma. However, nursing literature on MC is sparse. While several instruments to measure MD exist, an instrument to measure MC was not found. The MC Questionnaire (MCQ) was theoretically developed. The purpose of this study was to conduct a psychometric evaluation of the new 35-item MCQ. Methods: Psychometric evaluation design was used. Reliability testing consisted of the examination of internal consistency (coefficient alpha values) and stability (test-retest reliability: Spearman's correlation coefficient, weighted Kappa, and Bland-Altman [B&A] analysis). Validity was examined using content validity (content expert evaluation) and discriminant validity (r < .30). Model fit of a proposed five-factor model was tested using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results: Hospital-based direct-care (HB-DC) registered nurses (RNs; n = 466) participated from February 2019 to September 2019 in this Institutional Review Board-approved study. Participants completed demographic information, the MCQ, and the Moral Distress Scale-Revised (MDSR). The psychometric evaluation included a priori content validation and multiple statistical analyses: coefficient alpha, Spearman's correlation coefficient, weighted Kappa, B&A, discriminant validity, and CFA. Coefficient alpha was .951, suggesting internal consistency. Spearman's correlation coefficient was .605 (p < .001), suggesting a strong correlation between Time 1 and Time 2. Weighted Kappa values for each item (range = .139-.559) suggested slight to moderate agreement between responses over time. The B&A plot suggested agreement of responses over time. Discriminant validity results suggested no correlation between the MCQ and MDSR (r = -.219), which was expected. CFA results suggest a poor model fit of the proposed five-factor model. A post hoc hierarchical cluster analysis showed the presence of two clusters. A subsequent two-factor exploratory factor analysis showed items loading onto one of the two factors (internal and external). Conclusions: MC in nurses is essential to promoting positive outcomes for nurses. An instrument to measure MC in nurses is needed to gain a further understanding of the concept. The MCQ was theoretically developed and psychometrically evaluated. Results suggest the validity and reliability of the MCQ with further testing of a two-factor model. Knowledge acquired from studies using the MCQ could potentially be used to develop strategies to promote MC in nurses, thereby promoting positive outcomes for nurses, patients, and healthcare organizations.

Do Meditation, Mindfulness, and Self-Compassion Impact Utilitarian Moral Judgment?

ObjectivesMeditation practices, mindfulness, and self-compassion have been found to affect our physical and mental well-being in many ways. However, can they also affect our moral judgment, for example, what we think about right and wrong? This study aims to explore the potential influence of meditation, mindfulness and self-compassion on utilitarian moral judgments.MethodIn Study 1 (n = 316), we measured participants’ frequency of meditation, their level of mindfulness, self-compassion, and their utilitarian moral judgment through two well-known moral dilemmas (switch and bridge) and using a two-dimensional model of moral psychology (the Oxford Utilitarianism Scale with negative, i.e., instrumental harm, and positive, i.e., impartial beneficence dimensions). In Study 2 (n = 41), we conducted a psychological 8-week mindfulness course and measured the same variables as in Study 1 before and after the course.ResultsIn Study 1, we observed that participants who meditated more often exhibited lower levels of instrumental harm. In Study 2, we found that participants had a lower level of impartial beneficence after the 8-week mindfulness course.ConclusionsPractices such as meditation may be related to moral judgment, specifically to lower acceptance of harming others (instrumental harm), but they may also reduce the concern for the welfare of as many people as possible (impartial beneficence). Further research is needed to understand better if and how moral judgments may change when people meditate and develop their mindfulness and self-compassion.PreregistrationThe studies were not pre-registered.

Overbooking: Permissible when and only when scaled up

AbstractBumped from a flight? Relax with this defense of the big business practice of deliberately promising more services than one will provide. On a small scale, over‐promising yields a toxic moral dilemma and a lie. At a large scale, the dilemma becomes dilute, and the lie completely disappears. Overbooking is honest because there is a sufficiently high probability of fulfilling each promise. Overbooking is socially beneficial because the promised resources are used more efficiently. There are fewer wasted seats on jumbo jets and hence cheaper tickets with less pollution. Widespread disapproval of overbooking is a fallacious scaling error. Instead of there being too much overbooking, there is too little.

The role of empathy in trolley problems and variants: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The role of empathy in morality is a subject of ongoing scientific debate due to the lack of systematic reviews and meta-analyses on this topic. To address this gap, we conducted a PRISMA-based systematic quantitative review to investigate the role of empathy in moral judgements, decision-making, and inclinations using trolley problems and variants, which are popular types of moral dilemmas that explore utilitarianism and deontology. We searched for articles in four databases (PsycINFO, Pubmed, WorldWideScience, and Scopus) and performed citation searches. Out of 661 records, we selected 34 that studied the associations between empathy and moral judgements, moral decision-making, and/or moral inclinations. Six meta-analyses and systematic reviews of these records consistently showed small to moderate associations between affective empathy and these moral parameters, particularly in personal moral dilemmas involving intentional harm (although some approaches highlighted more complex associations between these parameters). Regarding other empathy domains, most studies found limited or insignificant links between cognitive empathy domains and moral judgements, decision-making, and inclinations. We discuss the nuances and implications of these results.

From (Moral) Status (of the Frozen Embryo) to (Relational) Contract and Back Again to (Relational Moral) Status

The existing hundreds of thousands of unused frozen embryos, coupled with the skyrocketing rate of divorce, raise numerous moral, legal, social, and religious dilemmas. Among the most daunting problems are the moral and legal status of the frozen embryo; what should its fate be in the event of conflicts between the progenitors?; and whether contractual regulation of frozen embryos is valid andenforceable. This Article applies relational ethics, drawing on, inter alia, the relational contract to resolve such intertwined dilemmas. Applying this theory, this Article will challenge the conventional dichotomous conceptualization of the frozen embryo as either a person or a nonperson. This Article will discuss why the legal and moral status of the frozen embryo should be determined as a derivative of the desired or undesired relationship between the progenitors, articulated in a mandatory disposition agreement. The progenitor who is interested in using the frozen embryo and bringing the child into the world defines it as a person, whereas the progenitor who opposes its usage determines its status as a nonperson – an object. Consequently, this Article argues that in the event of an explicit disposition agreement, the contract should govern whether the frozen embryo will be used, discarded, adopted and/or earmarked for research. The relational contract provides adequate contractual devices to address any problems arising from changed circumstances or changes of heart. In those cases where there is no explicit disposition agreement, or when the explicit agreement does not stipulate what should be done with the embryos under special or unanticipated circumstances, the party interested in using the embryo should prevail. The recalcitrant progenitor, who is not interested in using the embryo and becoming a parent, should not be subject to a legal determination of parental status and its attendant responsibilities.

The effects of explicit reasoning on moral judgements.

We report four experiments that investigate explicit reasoning and moral judgements. In each experiment, some subjects responded to the "footbridge" version of the trolley problem (which elicits stronger moral intuitions), whereas others responded to the "switch" version (which elicits weaker moral intuitions). Experiments 1-2 crossed the type of trolley problem with four reasoning conditions: control, counter-attitudinal, pro-attitudinal, and mixed reasoning (both types of reasoning). Experiments 3-4 examine whether moral judgements vary based on (a) when reasoners engage in counter-attitudinal reasoning, (b) when they make the moral judgement, and (c) by the type of moral dilemma. These two experiments comprised five conditions: control (judgement only), delay-only (2-minute wait then judgement), reasoning-only (reasoning then judgement), reasoning-delay (reasoning, then 2-minute delay, then judgement), and delayed-reasoning (2-minute delay, then reasoning, then judgement). These conditions were crossed with the type of trolley problem. We find that engaging in some form of counter-attitudinal reasoning led to less typical judgements (regardless of when it occurs), but this effect was mostly restricted to the switch version of the dilemma (and was strongest in the reasoning-delay conditions). Furthermore, neither pro-attitudinal reasoning nor delayed judgements on their own impacted subjects' judgements. Reasoners therefore seem open to modifying their moral judgements when they consider opposing perspectives but might be less likely to do so for dilemmas that elicit relatively strong moral intuitions.

Moral distress and positive experiences of ICU staff during the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons learned

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic causes moral challenges and moral distress for healthcare professionals and, due to an increased work load, reduces time and opportunities for clinical ethics support services. Nevertheless, healthcare professionals could also identify essential elements to maintain or change in the future, as moral distress and moral challenges can indicate opportunities to strengthen moral resilience of healthcare professionals and organisations.This study describes 1) the experienced moral distress, challenges and ethical climate concerning end-of-life care of Intensive Care Unit staff during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and 2) their positive experiences and lessons learned, which function as directions for future forms of ethics support.MethodsA cross-sectional survey combining quantitative and qualitative elements was sent to all healthcare professionals who worked at the Intensive Care Unit of the Amsterdam UMC - Location AMC during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey consisted of 36 items about moral distress (concerning quality of care and emotional stress), team cooperation, ethical climate and (ways of dealing with) end-of-life decisions, and two open questions about positive experiences and suggestions for work improvement.ResultsAll 178 respondents (response rate: 25–32%) showed signs of moral distress, and experienced moral dilemmas in end-of-life decisions, whereas they experienced a relatively positive ethical climate. Nurses scored significantly higher than physicians on most items. Positive experiences were mostly related to ‘team cooperation’, ‘team solidarity’ and ‘work ethic’. Lessons learned were mostly related to ‘quality of care’ and ‘professional qualities’.ConclusionsDespite the crisis, positive experiences related to ethical climate, team members and overall work ethic were reported by Intensive Care Unit staff and quality and organisation of care lessons were learned. Ethics support services can be tailored to reflect on morally challenging situations, restore moral resilience, create space for self-care and strengthen team spirit. This can improve healthcare professionals’ dealing of inherent moral challenges and moral distress in order to strengthen both individual and organisational moral resilience.Trial registrationThe trial was registered on The Netherlands Trial Register, number NL9177.

Location-Based Game for Thought-Provoking Evacuation Training

Participation in evacuation training can aid survival in the event of an unpredictable disaster, such as an earthquake. However, conventional evacuation training is not well designed for provoking critical thinking in participants regarding the processes involved in a successful evacuation. To realize thought-provoking evacuation training, we developed a location-based game that presents digital materials that express disaster situations corresponding to locations or times preset in a scenario and providing scenario-based multi-ending as the game element. The developed game motivates participants to take decisions by providing high situational and audiovisual realism. In addition, the game encourages the participants to think objectively about the evacuation process by working together with a reflection-support system. We practiced thought-provoking evacuation training with fifth-grade students, focusing on tsunami evacuation and lifesaving-related moral dilemmas. In this practice, we observed that the participants took decisions as if they were dealing with actual disaster situations and objectively thought about the evacuation process by reflecting on their decisions. Meanwhile, we found that lifesaving-related moral dilemmas are difficult to address in evacuation training.

Do Moral Judgments in Moral Dilemmas Make One More Inclined to Choose a Medical Degree?

The role of moral intuitions and moral judgments has become increasingly prominent in educational and academic choices. The present research aims to examine if the moral judgments elicited in sacrificial trolley dilemmas have a distinct pattern for the decisions made by junior medical students, in comparison to those of senior high school students. We work with this sample because it represents the population out of which medical students are recruited in the case of Bucharest, Romania. Our findings show that moral judgments are indeed a significant predictor for a respondent’s status as medical students. This result, albeit with limitations, bears multiple practical implications, from developing empirically informed medical ethics courses in medical schools to evidence-based policy designs which consider factors such as morality alongside financial outcomes and incentives.

A moral madness between policy and practice in the caring role of the cooperating teacher in school placement in Ireland

ABSTRACT Recent policy in Ireland enhanced the position of school placement in Initial Teacher Education programmes. This paper considers how care ethics has a vital role in sustaining the goodwill of the cooperation and guidance from professionals who mediate the school placement setting, noting values of reciprocal caring in placement mentor-mentee roles similar to studies from the international community. Using a qualitative approach, 38 Irish primary and post-primary cooperating teachers were interviewed during this cross-sectional study in order to ascertain insight into the lived experience of classroom teachers during school placement. Participants acknowledged the cooperating teacher role as professionally demanding, a rewarding experience, but also crucially linked to a duty and care premise. Participants show an emplacement of being within a moral dilemma symptomising a moral madness. Recommendations include enhanced collaborative policy development, an understanding of care in such policy, and a national approach to continuous professional development of cooperating teachers.

Author as Character and Narrator: Deconstructing Personal Narratives from the r/AmITheAsshole Reddit Community

In the r/AmITheAsshole subreddit, people anonymously share first person narratives that contain some moral dilemma or conflict and ask the community to judge who is at fault (i.e., who is "the asshole"). These first person narratives are, in general, a unique storytelling domain where the author is not only the narrator (the person telling the story) but is also a character (the person living the story) and, thus, the author has two distinct voices presented in the story. In this study, we identify linguistic and narrative features associated with the author as the character or as a narrator. We use these features to answer the following questions: (1) what makes an asshole character and (2) what makes an asshole narrator? We extract both Author-as-Character features (e.g., demographics, narrative event chain, and emotional arc) and Author-as-Narrator features (i.e., the style and emotion of the story as a whole) in order to identify which aspects of the narrative are correlated with the final moral judgment. Our work shows that "assholes" as Characters frame themselves as lacking agency with a more positive personal arc, while "assholes" as Narrators will tell emotional and opinionated stories.

The long and the short of it: 5-HTTLPR and moral judgement

Differences in moral sentiments are widespread. Increasingly, their biological correlates are investigated to elucidate potential sources of divergent moral attitudes and choices. Serotonin is one such potential modulator. We investigated the effects of a functional serotonergic polymorphism, 5-HTTLPR, which was previously linked to moral choices albeit with inconsistent findings. N = 157 healthy young adults completed a set of congruent and incongruent moral dilemmas. In addition to the traditional moral response score, this set allows by using a process dissociation (PD) approach an estimation a deontological and a utilitarian parameter. While there was no main effect of 5-HTTLPR on any of the three moral judgement parameters, there was an interaction effect between 5-HTTLPR and endocrine status on PD parameters, which was mainly due to the deontological but not the utilitarian parameter. In men and free cycling women, LL homozygotes showed reduced deontological tendencies compared to S allele carriers. Contrariwise, in women using oral contraceptives, LL homozygotes had increased deontology parameter scores. Furthermore, LL genotypes in general reported less difficulty in making harmful choices, which were in addition associated with less negative emotions. The findings suggest that 5-HTTLPR might be involved in modulating cognitive and emotional processes contributing to moral decisions.