Computational modeling of moral decisions

The cognitive processes that give rise to moral decisions have long been the focus of intense study. Here I illustrate how computational approaches to studying moral decisionmaking can advance this endeavor. Computational methods have traditionally been employed in the domains of perceptual and reward-based learning and decision-making, but until recently had not been applied to the study of moral cognition. Using examples from recent studies I show how computational properties of choices provide can provide novel insights into moral decision-making. I conclude with an exploration of new research avenues that arise from these insights, such as how uncertainty in choice shapes morality, and how moral decision-making can be viewed as a learning process. Introduction Moral decisions often involve tradeoffs between personal benefits and preventing harm to others. How do we decide when faced with such dilemmas? And how do we judge the moral decisions of others? These questions have long been the focus of intense study in philosophy, psychology, and more recently neuroscience. To investigate these questions, researchers have employed a variety of methods, ranging from hypothetical thought experiments (Cushman, Young, & Hauser, 2006; Greene, Sommerville, Nystrom, Darley, & Cohen, 2001; Jonathan Haidt, 2001) to virtual reality environments (David, McDonald, Mott, & Asher, 2012; Slater et al., 2006) to real moral decisions (Batson, Duncan,