Does the next order justify morally questionable behaviour? This question often arises in military and other strict hierarchical settings, where obedience can conflict with personal values. Historically, this tension has been studied in soldiers trained to act under extreme conditions. But what about civilians every day? When we face strict instructions that we disagree with, can we hierarchical hierarchies invalidate moral compass?
new study From the Center for Cognitive and Neuroscience Research at the University of Libre des Burxel, Cerebral cortexsuggests that we may be. Researchers looked at how civilian and military officer cadets responded to moral dilemmas under forced care, and the results were prominent.
Where decisions are made
Our sense of behavior (SOA) is a sense of control over our actions and plays an important role in moral decision-making. SOA relies on complex networks of brain regions, such as the frontal and parietal lobes and cerebellum. These areas help us plan, assess our senses and carry out our actions. Previous research It has already demonstrated that following your order will make your SOA quieter. Even if the outcome is morally questionable, a decrease in activity leads to a lower sense of responsibility.
While much of the research on submission focuses on the military environment, this new study answered a broader question. Do civilians act differently when asked to perform morally challenging tasks under orders?
read more: Research highlights the importance of recognizing our own voices
The civilians are obedient too
To investigate, the researchers asked 19 military cadets and 24 civilians to make decisions about giving other people mild electric shocks. Sometimes they are free to choose. He also had to follow explicit orders. All of this occurred while monitoring brain activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
What they found confirmed that some might suspect. Both groups showed the same reduction in SOA when following the order. This effect was measured by “temporal coupling.” This phenomenon recognizes that when people feel more responsible, people reduce the time between their actions and their consequences.
“In addition to making sure that their outcome decreases when the perception that we are the authors of our actions follows the order.” press release“There was no difference between military and civilians either. This suggests that everyday environments can have minimal impact on the neural foundations of moral decision making and generalize the outcomes.”
This study confirmed that several brain regions, such as the frontal gyrus (planning), precursors (sensory integration), and occipital lobe (visual processing), play a consistent role in shaping the sensations of our agency.
Understanding the roots of obedience
This study is part of a larger initiative named “A neuroscience approach to investigating how hierarchies influence moral behavior.” The findings provide insight into not only how moral choices are made, but also how rules and authority in everyday life subtly form (potentially overrides) ethical instincts.
It is noteworthy that the military cadets tested in this study were officers trained to be responsible for their actions. “You may wonder whether being merely an enforcer will affect these outcomes,” Kreeremans added. “Previous research has shown that maintaining a low military rank has a detrimental effect on SOA. This would suggest an important pathway for responsibility training.”
In a world shaped by rules, routines and hierarchies, understanding how and why moral decisions are made, especially under pressure, is more than a scientific concern, it is social.
read more: Why is decision making so exhausting in a world of endless choices?
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Jenny has worked as a biomedical research assistant in labs in three countries, and is good at translating complex scientific concepts, ranging from medical breakthroughs and pharmacological discoveries to modern nutritional discoveries. Her interests range from topics such as human evolution, psychology, and eccentric animal stories. When she’s not immersed in a popular science book, you’ll find her catching or cruising waves around Vancouver Island with her longboard.
