Effects of personal force and physical contact on moral decision-making: A replication

Introduction: Hypothetical moral dilemmas require individuals to decide between the lives of five vs. one person(s). We replicated the influence of physical contact, personal force, and spatial proximity on moral decision-making in experiments 1a and 1b of Greene et al. (2009).Method: Participants (N = 268) completed the footbridge and speedboat dilemma of their condition (physical contact and personal force; personal force only; no physical contact nor personal force) by reporting a moral acceptability rating (1-9).Results: Personal force was associated with decreased ratings of moral acceptability and permissibility, partially replicating experiments 1a and 1b of Greene et al. (2009).Discussion: Results suggest that personal force influences people to respond with a deontological response, rather than a consequentialist response.