Powerful hierarchical situations make it easier for individuals to commit harmful actions. The reason for this, researchers say, is because empathy and agency become split across multiple individuals.
A new study contradicts conventional assumptions that belief in free will is tied to a person's moral behavior. Researchers say free will may promote moral behavior in specific contexts, but it is not indicative of moral behavior overall.
According to a new study, the brain responds less to rewards gained from immoral acts than it does to ethically earned rewards.