Recent research demonstrates that participants’ willingness to endorse utilitarian actions that require personally harming an innocent victim can be affected by variables that influence brain functioning, such as lesions of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and pharmacological challenges [6], [7]. For example, respondents who receive a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (citalopram) are less likely to endorse utilitarian outcomes that result in harm to an innocent victim [7]. This may be because serotonin enhances the aversive emotional response to causing others harm, perhaps through its influence on brain structures like the amygdala, insula, and ventromedial prefrontal cortex, which are implicated in moral judgments and behavior [6], [8].
Endogenous serotonin neurotransmission is influenced by a functional 5′ promoter polymorphism of the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) in the human serotonin transporter gene SLC6A4, called 5-HTTLPR [9]. Relative to carriers of the long (L) form of the polymorphism, carriers of the short (S) form show reduced transcription, expression and function of 5-HTT, which influences the reuptake of serotonin from the synaptic cleft [10]. S-carriers are also more emotionally reactive to aversive stimuli than are L-carriers [11]. This difference may reflect S-carriers’ increased activation in subcortical structures like the amygdala that are associated with negative affect and/or reduced prefrontal modulation of these structures by the prefrontal cortex [11].
This lab also has several previous studies dealing with both trolly-like problems and 5-HTTLPR.
If they have previous studies specifically addressing the relationship between 5-HTTLPR and utilitarian calculations, for which I’ll take your word, that does indeed increase my degree of belief that they formed that specific hypothesis and that one only before performing the experiment.
Sorry, that sentence was unclear- they have previous studies dealing with trolley-like problems and previous studies dealing with 5-HTTLPR’s relation to things like fear recognition and strength of perceived rewards and punishments. They don’t, as far as I know, have studies dealing with the relationship between 5-HTTLPR and trolley-like problems until now.
It is very realistic. From the introduction.
This lab also has several previous studies dealing with both trolly-like problems and 5-HTTLPR.
If they have previous studies specifically addressing the relationship between 5-HTTLPR and utilitarian calculations, for which I’ll take your word, that does indeed increase my degree of belief that they formed that specific hypothesis and that one only before performing the experiment.
Sorry, that sentence was unclear- they have previous studies dealing with trolley-like problems and previous studies dealing with 5-HTTLPR’s relation to things like fear recognition and strength of perceived rewards and punishments. They don’t, as far as I know, have studies dealing with the relationship between 5-HTTLPR and trolley-like problems until now.