Psychology Affects Ethics Too!

This month we have been learning how cognitive processes can affect ethical decision making. Turns out the general education psychology course I took has been a huge help. (It’s always nice to discover a course you previously considered rather useless was actually worth the time!)

To show the way differing stages of moral development can affect ethical decisions, the dilemma of Heinz is presented:

Heinz’ wife is dying from a rare form of cancer. The only drug that might save her is recently discovered and extremely expensive. Heinz cannot raise all the money needed and begs the druggist to sell it for less. He refuses, and Heinz decides to break into the druggist’s home to steal the drug. Was this right or wrong?

A person in level 1 of Kohlberg’s stages of moral development (preconventional) may see this as acceptable because Heinz did what he needed to save his wife.

While a person in level 2 (conventional) could be torn on whether this was an ethical action. On one hand, Heinz’ motives were pure. He was trying to save his wife, not profit from the theft; however, he was also breaking the law which is against the social order.

Finally, a person in level 3 (postconventional) would see Heinz’ actions as unethical. It is wrong to steal from the druggist, regardless of Heinz’ personal feelings or his situation.

Other cognitive processes like biases and cognitive dissonance also come into play during ethical decision making – it's really surprised me how many topics from unrelated classes have popped up in this course.

If you’d like to learn more about how ANYONE (yes, you too) can make unethical decisions, I suggest picking up Blind Spots: Why We Fail To Do What’s Right and What To Do About It by Bazerman and Tenbrunsel.