Moral Decision Conflicts in Intelligence Work: The Impact of Varying Harm on Choices, Stress, Moral Concerns and Social Signaling

We constructed sacrificial dilemmas situated in professional intelligence work. Across within- and between design studies we varied harm intensity and measured participant’s choices, feelings, concerns and social perceptions from the actor- and observer-perspective. Results suggest a high sensitivity for variations in harm and an association between deontic decisions and warmth/morality.