Emotional and Cognitive Processes in Moral Choices: A Review of the Dual-Process Theory of Moral Judgment

The investigation of moral behavior has become prevalent in cognitive neuroscience. A prominent framework within this field is the dual-process theory. Initially proposed to address discrepancies in the trolley and footbridge dilemmas, the dual-process theory has been influential in understanding moral behavior, proposing that two systems, emotion and cognition, play distinct roles in shaping moral judgments. Emotion-driven deontological decisions are contrasted with cognition-driven utilitarian decisions. This paper will review the dual-process theory of moral decision-making, examining both its evidence and some of its key criticisms.