An Examination of Mind Perception and Moral Reasoning in Ethical Decision-Making: A Mixed-Methods Approach

Isaac H. Smith (), Andrew T. Soderberg, Ekaterina Netchaeva and Gerardo A. Okhuysen
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Isaac H. Smith: Brigham Young University
Andrew T. Soderberg: University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
Ekaterina Netchaeva: Bocconi University
Gerardo A. Okhuysen: Paul Merage School of Business, University of California, Irvine

Journal of Business Ethics, 2023, vol. 183, issue 3, No 3, 690 pages

Abstract: Abstract Taking an abductive, mixed-methods approach, we explore the content of people’s moral deliberations. In Study 1, we gather qualitative data from small groups of graduate business students discussing moral dilemmas. We analyze their conversations with a focus on how participants perceive others’ thoughts, opinions, and evaluations about the dilemmas and incorporate them into their reasoning. Ascribing such capacities to think and feel to others—i.e., mind perception—is central to morality. We use the conversations in Study 1 to identify whose minds participants perceive. Study 1 also identifies how particular elements of deliberation—including the exploration of consequences, acknowledging ambivalence, seeking alternative options, the development of deep feelings, and the search for a moral compass—are linked to these perceptions of others’ minds. In Study 2 (an exploratory, online experiment with 378 participants), we find that priming individuals with specific forms of mind perception can influence the elements of moral reasoning they employ, and we find evidence that the presence of elements of reasoning are linked to participants’ final choices in a business-related ethical dilemma.

Keywords: Moral conversations; Moral reasoning; Ethical dilemmas; Mind perception; Perspective taking (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1007/s10551-021-05022-9

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