The Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex's role in Moral Judgement

Article: Selective deficit in personal moral judgment following damage to ventromedial prefrontal cortex
Authors:Elisa Ciaramelli, Michela Muccioli, Elisabetta Làdavas, and Giuseppe di Pellegrino
Published in: Soc Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. 2007 June; 2(2): 84–92.

The ventromedial prefrontal cortex has been known to account for aggressiveness, lack of concern for social and moral rules, and irresponsibility. The researchers tested seven brain lesion patients and twelve healthy (control group) patients to see how participants made decisions about the appropriateness of personal and impersonal moral dilemmas. From what I understand, the difference between the two dilemmas has to do with actually harming another person directly. As the article describes, it is the difference between pushing someone off a ledge in order to save five other lives and flipping a switch that causes one person’s death but saves five others. The personal dilemma is coming in contact with another person, while the impersonal dilemma only requires the flipping of a switch. Take note that personal dilemmas cause more emotional strain on the actor.
The researchers presented patients with 3 screens. The first screen described a scenario, the second screen asked if the action was appropriate or inappropriate, and the third screen asked the participant to recall something about the scenario to ensure that he or she remembered enough about the situation in order to make a decision.
The results found that patients with ventromedial prefrontal lesions approved more personal moral violations compared to the control group, and did so more quickly. Interestingly, the control group and patients with brain lesions did not show much variation on deciding the appropriateness of impersonal moral dilemmas. The article claims that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex “allows individuals to endure sacrifices now in order to obtain benefits later.” In that case, brain lesion patients are more inclined to think ahead. From one of my other posts, I have learned that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex plays a large role in empathy. If morality and empathy are related, brain lesion patients would be at a deficit on both fronts. Healthy subjects would have an easier time assessing how their moral actions would make them feel.