An ERP spatiotemporal pattern analysis on moral judgment

Based on the statistical parametric mapping (SPM), this study analyzed the spatiotemporal pattern of electroencephalogram ( EEG ) data to investigate the information processing mechanisms of moral judgment. This experiment divided the hypothetical scenarios into two sets by the conflict of moral dilemmas: the "personal" scenarios (higher conflict) and the "non personal "scenarios (lower conflict). The aberrant EEG expanded from bilateral temporal to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex ( VMPC ) as the process of moral judgment. The higher conflict of moral dilemmas restrained the EEG in the prefrontal and VMPC. These findings provide support to the hypothesis that moral judgment is a complex process involved emotional and utilitarian judgments, and suggest the decision of moral judgments relied on the utilitarian judgment and emotional restraint.