Do moral choices make us feel good? The development of adolescent’s emotions following moral decision-making

Abstract

Some people believe that making the morally right decision makes people feel good. However, until now, there has been no empirical evidence in support of this belief. In a representative two-wave longitudinal study of 995 15-year-old adolescents followed for 3 years (until the age of 18) in Switzerland, adolescents were asked about their decisions and emotions following hypothetical dilemmas involving moral obligations versus self-interest. Adolescents predominantly made moral decisions and reported feeling good following these decisi Show more