Psychological determinants of moral behavior: a review of modern foreign studies
DOI: 10.23951/2307-6127-2025-5-179-192
The article provides an overview of modern foreign studies on the determinants of moral behavior over the past 5 years (2020–2025). The relevance of the study of psychological determinants of moral behavior is due not only to the need to explain the complex mechanisms of their interrelation and interdependence, but also to the tendency of foreign psychology towards integrated knowledge through the expansion of transdisciplinary and cross-cultural connections. Neurosciences that study the structure and functioning of the brain are actively developing. Works are appearing that consider the problems of global risks, emphasize the role of information technology in global processes, and analyze the consequences of globalization. The subject field of cyberpsychology is expanding due to the development of the Internet and Artificial Intelligence (AI). This has significantly enriched the scientific understanding of what psychological determinants determine our moral behavior. A promising direction in research is joint methods and technologies for studying human moral behavior from the standpoint of cognitive neuroscience and psychology. Internal determinants of moral behavior include conformity in making moral decisions (1), moral convictions (2), uncritical perception of information from social networks (3), fear of punishment for immoral behavior (4), motivation (5), etc. External determinants of moral behavior include early positive experience of interaction with the mother, which forms a secure attachment (1), past patterns of moral behavior, while negative ones, on the contrary, can stimulate a person to behave decently (2), a low level of trust in their political leaders who solve moral dilemmas during periods of global crises based on utilitarian principles of ethics, that is, justify instrumental sacrifice for the common good (3), condemnation of low moral responsibility for the use of educational Internet resources (4), recognition and respect for cultural diversity in society (5), etc. It is concluded that psychology strives for integrated knowledge, uniting with social disciplines aimed at analyzing global phenomena, and neurosciences, which make it possible to study the inter-relationship between genetic and environmental processes.
Keywords: morality, moral behavior, external determinants of moral behavior, internal determinants of moral behavior
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Issue: 5, 2025
Series of issue: Issue 5
Rubric: REVIEWS
Pages: 179 — 192
Downloads: 522