Hey Mr. President, Morals Are Good for Your Brain

Did you know that being good -- that is, moral -- comes with its own rewards?  Guess that's something Trump never learned.  But anyway.

It's good to be good, according to newswise.com, which reports that "high moral reasoning" is associated with increased activity in the human brain's reward system.

What does that mean?

A new study has on this may help researchers to understand how brain function differs in individuals at different stages of moral reasoning and why some individuals who reach a high level of moral reasoning are more likely to engage in certain “prosocial” behaviors – such as performing community service or giving to charity – based on more advanced principles and ethical rules.

Again, Trump, anyone?

Moral development theory proposes that individuals go through different stages of moral reasoning as their cognitive abilities mature (I won't say that name again). According to the researchers, this new theory implies that individuals at a lower level of moral reasoning are more prone to judge moral issues primarily based on personal interests or adherence to laws and rules, whereas individuals with higher levels of moral reasoning judge moral issues based on deeper principles and shared ideals.

Sound familiar, anyone?

 The researchers’ previous work found an association between high levels of moral reasoning and gray matter volume, establishing a critical link between moral reasoning and brain structure. This more recent study sought to discover whether a link exists between moral reasoning and brain function.

I think we have the answers to this one.

“It is well established in the literature that the brain reward system is involved in moral judgment, decision-making, and prosocial behavior. However, it remains unknown whether brain reward system function can be affected by stages of moral development,” the researchers say. “Findings from our study provide new insights into the potential neural basis and underlying psychological processing mechanism of individual differences in moral development. 

The finding of increased brain reward system activity in individuals at a high level of moral reasoning suggests the importance of positive motivations towards others in moral reasoning development, rather than selfish motives. These findings also support the study's theory that higher levels of moral reasoning tend to be promotion and other-focused (do it because it is right) rather than prevention or self-focused (do not do it because it is wrong).

This probably doesn't mean anything to the man in the White House (sorry, just can't call him president), but, God knows, it should.