An empirical study of moral intuitions: Toward an evolutionary ethics.

1993/03/01 by Lewis Petrinovich, Patricia O’Neill, Matthew J. Jorgensen · 2 citations
Neuroscience · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Empirical research #Epistemology #Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation #Moral psychology #Psychology #Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment #Social and Intergroup Psychology #Social psychology

paper · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.64.3.467

openalex publication_date 1993/03/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31

Abstract

This study of moral intuitions used a questionnaire containing 2 moral dilemmas that were administered to university students. The dilemmas probed the underlying dimensions involved in moral intuitions. The results of both group- and individual-level analyses suggested that the most important dimensions were Speciesism, Abhorrent Political Philosophy (Nazism), and Inclusive Fitness, followed by Social Contract and Number of Individuals. The dimensions of Action-Inaction, Elite, and Endangered Species had significant but weak influences

Citations

• Exaptation: A Crucial Tool for an Evolutionary Psychology
• On the Universality of Human Nature and the Uniqueness of the Individual: The Role of Genetics and Adaptation
• The Quest for Human Nature: Social and Scientific Issues in Evolutionary Psychology
• Evolutionary Personality Psychology

Cited by

• Moral Reasoning: Hints and Allegations
• Moral psychology [wikipedia]