Experimental Moral Psychology: Designing Studies on Moral Reasoning

How do we decide what is right and wrong, and can we study these ethical choices scientifically? While philosophers have debated moral dilemmas for centuries, modern cognitive science allows us to test these intuitions through empirical research. In this text-only course, you will transition from asking philosophical questions to designing your own behavioral experiments. You will discover how the human mind processes moral dilemmas, formulate testable hypotheses, and structure survey-based studies to gather and analyze psychological data. What you'll learn: Understand the foundational theories of cognitive science and moral psychology; Formulate clear, testable hypotheses about human ethical decision-making and moral intuitions; Design effective questionnaire-based experiments to isolate specific psychological variables; Analyze behavioral data to draw meaningful conclusions about the structure of the moral mind; Apply modern research methodologies while navigating ethical considerations in psychological testing. You will start by exploring core concepts of moral philosophy and cognitive science before learning how to translate these theories into concrete experimental designs. Through written explanations and structured exercises, you will progress from conceptualizing a study to drafting questionnaire prompts and analyzing sample behavioral datasets. This course is designed for beginners interested in psychology, cognitive science, or philosophy, with no prior research experience required. Begin your journey into the empirical study of the human mind today.