What do you think about killing one innocent person to save others? What would you choose if you were asked? Think twice as the level of trust people place in you depends on your answer.

2400 people made their choices during 9 experiments conducted by scientists from Oxford and Cornell Universities. Research data shows that people with unconditional moral values (refusing to sacrifice an innocent person no matter what) are considered to be more reliable social partners, Science Daily reports.

Staff author: Adilia S.

Black and White Approach to Morality

In the course of the experiments, participants were supposed to decide whether they are content to sacrifice one innocent person for the sake of saving several people or not.

In one scenario, volunteers had to imagine an uncontrolled tram rushing towards a group of people. They could save those people by pushing a large man on the road in front of the tram. People faced the following dilemma: to sacrifice the life of one man to save 5 other people or not. In another variant respondents didn’t have to touch the man — they could direct the tram to another track by pressing a button where it would only hit 1 person instead of 5.

After the experiment, the volunteers had to rate other participants by how much they trusted them. Those who held to absolute morals (refused to cause death of an innocent person) and those who were more flexible achieved substantially different levels of trust. The participants were also asked whom they would be more eager to offer a money loan if they wanted to ensure getting it back. People with the black and white approach to morals scored higher than the ones who wanted to save lives of many by sacrificing one person.

The researchers concluded that people with black and white approach to morality seem more trustworthy and believable.

However, the way how the choice was made had proven to be important as well. Those who found it difficult to make the decision to sacrifice someone’s life were trusted more than individuals who considered the decision to be easy.

In another situation the decision had to be made whether to leave a wounded soldier on the battlefield to save lives of the other soldiers. In one scenario the wounded soldier asked to be left behind, in another the victim begged not to leave him. Participants who were respectful of the person’s wishes won higher trust.

The research shows that it’s hard to make single-minded decisions. There are always multiple circumstances that matter. In real life, research shows that people tend to change their moral values to benefit themselves.

We often change our ways of thinking due to life experiences and become more or less rigid in our ethical beliefs.

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