The perspective-simulating mind: internal representations in moral judgment and action (opens in new tab)

Mental imagery is a simulation process, yet its representational format is rarely measured in moral cognition. We tested whether spontaneously adopted imagery perspective (first- vs. third-person) and imagery vividness relate to moral evaluation in trolley dilemmas. In an online sample (N = 156), participants read either a switch or footbridge scenario, judged moral acceptability and willingness to act (order randomized), and after each judgment reported imagery vividness (1–6; including a “n...