Gender Differences in Solving Moral Dilemmas: Emotional Engagement, Care and Utilitarian Orientation
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Gender Differences in Solving Moral Dilemmas: Emotional Engagement, Care and Utilitarian Orientation P. Cordellieri1 • M. Boccia1,2 • L. Piccardi1,2 • D. Kormakova1 • L. V. Stoica1 F. Ferlazzo1 • C. Guariglia1,2 • A. M. Giannini1
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Received: 27 June 2019 / Accepted: 2 October 2020 National Academy of Psychology (NAOP) India 2020
Abstract Moral sense is important for determining human behaviour. Moral sense becomes crucial in operational environments in which choices must be made that have complex moral implications in highly stressful situations. Behavioural and neuroimaging findings have shown the existence of gender-related differences in moral reasoning. The present study aimed to investigate whether gender affects moral reasoning and emotional state. We also investigated whether empathy, decision-making and emotional regulation strategies had a role in determining gender differences in solving moral dilemmas. We found that moral judgements and emotional engagement were significantly different. Women were less prone than men to accept a moral violation, such as killing someone to save their own lives and the lives of others. Furthermore, women were more emotionally involved and experienced dysphoric emotions more often than men. Our results shed light upon the mechanisms that affect moral reasoning and determine gender differences in solving moral dilemmas. Keywords Gender moral difference Moral judgment Moral dilemmas Moral justice
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s12646-020-00573-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. & P. Cordellieri [email protected] 1
Department of Psychology, ‘Sapienza’ University of Rome, Rome, Italy
2
Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
Introduction The existence of gender differences in moral judgement is a very controversial and highly debated issue, with different theoretical and methodological orientations. Kohlberg (1964a, b) proposed an explanation of moral judgement based primarily on the fundamental role of reason. He argued that the development of moral reasoning takes place in an invariant sequence of universal stages (preconventional, conventional and postconventional) in all cultures. According to Kohlberg’s theory, progressive cognitive development in increasingly complex structures involves a series of qualitative transformations in understanding and resolving moral dilemmas, including a sense of equity and justice, which is considered to be the basic principle underlying moral behaviour. By using structured interviews aimed at solving moral dilemmas (Colby & Kohlberg, 1987), Kohlberg showed that men are more oriented towards considering universal rights and principles than women, almost assuming an ethical superiority in men. This finding was disputed by Gilligan (1982), who considered the principles of equity and justice exclusively in relation to moral judgement, omitting the interpersonal and affectiv
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