The main goal of this project to investigate the psychological processes underlying moral judgments in social dilemmas. We will examine neuroendocrine determinants of moral judgment by investigating the effects of exogenous testosterone
* Medical Screening Interview: Participants will be asked to answer several questions to identify potential medical and non-medical conditions that would preclude the self-administration of testosterone. * First Saliva Sample: Participants will be asked provide a saliva sample after they completed the medical screening interview. * Testosterone Self-Administration: Immediately following the first saliva collection, participants will self-administer spray puffs of either testosterone or placebo. * Relaxation: Participants will be given the opportunity to relax for 30 minutes. * Moral Dilemmas Judgments: Participants will be asked to read a set of 24 moral dilemmas that describe situations in which an actor has to make a decision on whether or not to engage in a particular action (e.g., sacrifice the well-being of one person to protect the well-being of several others). Participants will be asked to indicate whether they consider the described action acceptable or unacceptable. * Demographics: Participants will be asked to indicate their gender, age, and ethnicity. * Ear Temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure will be measured before drug administration, and again 20 minutes after drug administration. If temperature changes more than 2 degrees, heart rate changes more than 20bmp, or if blood pressure changes more than 20%, the experiment will be terminated and subjects will be escorted across the street to the University Emergency Room.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
TRIPLE
Enrollment
220
Effect of testosterone on moral decision making
Effect of testosterone on moral decision making
University of Texas at Austin Department of Psychology
Austin, Texas, United States
Moral Dilemma Judgments
Subjects will decide on whether or not to engage in a particular action (e.g., sacrifice the well-being of one person to protect the well-being of several others). Participants will be asked to indicate whether they consider the described action acceptable or unacceptable.
Time frame: 90 minutes
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