Situationally dependent changes in moral values: Manipulating moral beliefs using a robotic experimenter
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2017-07-12
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en
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Abstract
Moral Foundations Theory describes morality as consisting of separately
measurable moral foundations. One challenge this theory faces is that
moral values are non-static in reality: They differ intrasubjectively depending on context, time and events, while any single measurement of
foundation values in subjects is a static snapshot. To address this challenge, the current bachelor thesis project investigates how moral values
change over time by measuring them in the same subjects before and after
said subjects have been put into a situation that is meant to impact their
beliefs. Similar to the second experiment by Vohs & Schooler[1] that this
thesis attempts to partially replicate, each subject is manipulated in one
of several conditions (free will, determinism, neutral) and is asked to solve
complicated problems as part of a competition during which it is possible to cheat. The Pepper robot is used as a replacement of the human
experimenter and strengthens the conditions of the experiment by producing statements written from its perspective as a deterministic system.
This project could not replicate fi ndings by Vohs & Schooler (2008): The
manipulation of beliefs had no signifi cant effect on amounts of cheating.
Additionally, it could not find a signifi cant of the same manipulation on
measurements of subjects' moral values.
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Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen