Phd in PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIAL NEUROSCIENCE

Thesis title: Morality in Motion: from the Embodied Cognition to the Social Dimensions of Ethical Decision-Making

In the contemporary research field of moral psychology and neuroscience, the approach of Embodied Cognition introduces novel perspectives, positing that bodily signals exert a direct influence on higher-level cognitive functions, including moral reasoning. Two key components of Embodied Cognition, the Sense of Ownership (SoO) and the Sense of Agency (SoA), have emerged as pivotal in shaping moral identity and behavior. Studies exploring the connection between SoO, and moral cognition seem to suggest a reciprocal relationship, wherein a reduced SoO correlates with increased immoral conduct. Similarly, investigations into SoA demonstrate its association with moral behavior, with modulations in SoA observable at both implicit and explicit levels in relation to actions with moral connotations. This dissertation aims to explore the relationships between Bodily Self-Consciousness (BSC) and moral conduct, focusing on the SoO and the SoA. Study 1 investigated the association of SoO levels, modulated with a Virtual Reality (VR) technique, and dishonesty, measured by the frequency of deceptions while playing the temptation to lie card game (TLCG). Furthermore, brain activity was measured with electroencephalography (EEG) to identify potential brain correlates. Study 2 examined the social dimension of SoA, concerning its role in social bond formation preceding a group version of the TLCG. Study 3 examines the modulation of SoA during a joint moral decision-making task, where two agents had to decide whether to deliver mildly painful shocks to a third person in exchange for money. EEG activity was also measured to study the neurocognitive processes occurring during the decision-making processes. By exploring these research lines, this dissertation seeks to deepen our understanding of the interplay between bodily signals, the social environment, and moral behavior