Martha Berg

Title:
Contextualizing Moral Reasoning: How Close Relationships Shape Responses to Moral Transgressions

Abstract:
Consider the following scenario—you witness your friend steal a laptop at a cafe and a police officer asks whether you saw anything. How would you respond? What makes situations like these so vexing is that they pit two fundamental drives against one another: protecting those we love versus abiding by universal rules that govern society. Yet the overwhelming majority of research in moral psychology has ignored the influence of relationships, focusing instead on how people respond to the immoral acts of strangers. In this talk, I will review findings from an integrative program of research that demonstrates how close relationships powerfully shape the way people respond to moral transgressions. First, I will review research indicating that people are much more likely to protect close (vs. distant) others who act immorally, particularly when the acts they observe are severe. Next, I will address how cultural norms can influence the saw relationships have on moral reasoning. Finally, I will present initial work exploring how relationships between transgressor and victim influence the victim’s response. Together, these findings underscore the importance of taking context into account when studying moral reasoning.


Zach Reese

Title:
Competition within Relationships

Abstract:
People in the U.S. strive for achievement, individuality, and glory while simultaneously striving to build and maintain close relationships. What happens when our desire to be "top dog" conflicts with our desire to support our loved ones? In this presentation, I will discuss several studies examining the roles competition and dominance play in our close relationships.