e-Repositori UPF :: Master in Cognitive Systems and Interactive Media. Master Thesis projects

Enviaments recents

Designing and Evaluating Extended Reality Solutions for Sign Reading Assistance for People with Low Vision
(2025) Gorach, Tasneem
Extended Reality (XR) technologies, including AR and VR, offer promising tools to support individuals with low vision in navigating public spaces and reading signage safely. People with impairments such as glaucoma or cataract often struggle with reduced visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and peripheral vision, leading to decreased situational awareness and increased risk of collisions. This study investigates a lightweight, user-customizable XR system designed to augment natural vision, enhance sign readability, and reduce cognitive load. Participants completed tasks in VR simulations of structured (museum) and cluttered (airport) environments, performing directed sign searches while the system recorded task completion times, reaction times, and NASA-TLX cognitive load ratings, complemented by qualitative feedback on usability and overlay design preferences. These findings provide practical insights for designing cognitively considerate, real-world-ready assistive XR systems.
Study on group-oriented AR experiences: comparing Smartphone AR and ARML
(2025) Vidović, Marija
Augmented Reality (AR) has become an increasingly popular technology across many different industries, particularly in education and cultural heritage. Over the years, AR has been integrated with various devices. This thesis investigates the influence of device type and user role (holder, non-holder) on group dynamics in location-based augmented reality. The two devices this study focuses on are the AR Magic Lantern, a specially developed projection-based AR and a smartphone-based AR. While smartphone-based AR is widely used and accessible in successfully augmented physical spaces, it has been criticised for causing user isolation and making it difficult to share the experience with other users. In contrast, the AR Magic Lantern (ARML) allows for more shared and collaborative interactions, which can potentially enhance group collaboration and engagement. A group consisting of three to five users they were tested in two different scenarios. In one scenario, users interact with the AR content through a smartphone, and in the other through the AR Magic Lantern. In both scenarios, users may take turns holding the device. Both scenarios use the Garum Game, in which players interact with objects such as knives, spoons, and stirring sticks to make garum, an ancient Roman fish sauce. The findings show that the AR Magic Lantern (WaS paradigm) encourages stronger group dynamics and collaboration, as well as promoting higher intrinsic motivation, while smartphone AR (WoW paradigm) leads to quicker task completion but reduced social interactions. Holder status was found not to have a significant impact on group dynamics.
Modulation of associative memory by emotional item encoding
(2025) González Jiménez, Nuria Esther
Associative memory, which is the ability to link items with contextual details, is essential for navigating the world and guiding future behavior. Emotional salience, especially of negative valence, is known to influence memory, but its precise effect on associative versus item memory remains debated. While some studies report impairments in context recall for emotional items, others suggest emotion can enhance associative binding under specific conditions. In this study, we investigated how emotional item encoding modulates the ability to recall contextual details during a recognition memory task. Participants encoded images of varying emotional valence (positive, negative, neutral), each paired with a contextual background. At retrieval, they were asked to identify whether an image was old or new, and to recall its original context. Our results show that emotional items were recognised with high accuracy, consistent with prior work, but importantly, we found differential effects on context memory depending on emotional valence. Contrary to the expected “emotional trade-off” effect, context memory for emotional items, particularly negative, was not impaired, and in some cases, enhanced. A follow-up analysis comparing performance of one participant across two me points revealed a statistically significant improvement in associative memory, suggesting that repeated exposure to emotional-context pairings may strengthen context binding. These findings provide behavioral evidence that emotional content can modulate associative memory in complex, and not always disruptive, ways.
Cognitive load, learning efficiency and motivation: location-based virtual reality experience versus traditional learning methods
(2024) Šmulkštytė, Marija
Location-based virtual reality (LBVR) technology, which merges virtual reality with real-world physical spaces, has demonstrated significant potential to transform educational experiences by providing highly immersive and interactive learning environments. These environments can help to engage students more profoundly, offering unique opportunities for experiential learning that traditional methods may not be able to replicate. However, despite these advantages, the educational effectiveness of LBVR is contingent upon a careful balance between engagement and cognitive load. Cognitive load, defined as the mental effort required to process information, is a critical factor in determining the effectiveness of any educational technology. Excessive cognitive load can impede learning by overwhelming students' cognitive resources, whereas an optimal level of cognitive load can enhance understanding and retention. This study employs an experimental design to compare cognitive load in LBVR and traditional learning environments, assessing its impact on learning efficiency. Furthermore, the study analyses the impact of motivation in the learning process, recognizing that motivated students are more likely to engage deeply with the material and persist through challenges. The study aims to fill a significant gap in the literature by exploring the balance between immersive engagement and cognitive efficiency specifically in LBVR, with the goal of offering practical insights for the effective integration of LBVR technology into educational curricula.
Controlling cooperative behaviors in real-time environments using reinforcement learning
(2024) Knudsen, James
The research presented in this Master’s Thesis expands on previous research in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) domain of cooperative, deep, multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) in a common-pool resource environment. Specifically, we expand on the Forest Fire Model (FFM) presented in Cooperative Control of Environmental Extremes by Artificial Intelligent Agents. Previous research contributes an improved understanding of emergent cooperative behaviors for AI agents through the lens of game-theoretic concepts of equilibria (in the context of ecological engineering). This work presented in this thesis focuses on increasing realism in the FFM simulation by modeling the probability of ignition of fires inspired by real-world data. While the original research kept fire ignition as probabilistically constant, here we explore how periods of stress and abundance (i.e. seasonal fire impacts) guide agent behaviors. Notably, this research shows that the duration of organizational behavior and the degree to which it occurs can be controlled through manipulation of probabilistic occurrence of negative rewards - explored here as dynamic probabilistic fire functions. Understanding and controlling cooperative behaviors provides relevant solutions for addressing resource sharing among self-interested parties and serves as foundational work for climate change oriented solutions.
Scaling down full- body interaction lab’s mixed reality systems assessing embodiment properties and user experience
(2024) Alessandrini, Isabel
Recent studies have shown the importance of new technologies, and in particular Mixed Reality (MR) systems, in generating new and extensive possibilities for therapies for children on the Autism Spectrum (AS), due to the affinity that children have for it, as well as the ability to engage and promote social and collaborative behaviors between the children. Based on the theoretical aspects of the potential of full body interaction as well as its practical applications based on theories of embodied cognition principles, the Full Body Interaction Lab at Pompeu Fabra University has conducted several studies and developed MR system experiences to investigate these topics in order to improve the social behavior of children with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC).The experience of previous experiments with these systems has pointed out the need to make them more accessible, besides suggesting some other practical and theoretical advantages of bringing these MR experiences into the social spaces of children with AS, such as schools, hospitals and others. In order to scale down the Mixed Reality experiences at the FuBIntLab, it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive evaluation and testing of embodiment cognition properties, focusing on the body, space and social relations. The goal of this study is to preserve the key properties of the current MR system size while achieving a much smaller footprint. The focus is on how the variability in MR scale size across age groups may affect the properties of territoriality & social distance, proprioception & kinaesthesia, navigation and wayfinding. The participants in this study of school age, adolescents and young adults, with cognitive diversity and not specifically children on AS. We expect this research to provide methodological and theoretical insights into the notion of space definition, measurement, and size effects in full-body embodied cognition properties that can be applied to optimize the design of Mixed Reality system experiences.
Participatory design process in a Cooperative Mixed Reality Full-body Interactive Experience
(2023-10-27) Tüter, Gözde
The importance of involving children in technology design has been emphasized in previous and recent studies. Moreover, as stated in the literature, the fact that the creativity of children is higher than that of adults shows that children have a significant role in the design process. Based on this perspective, Full Body Interaction Lab at Pompeu Fabra University has conducted a Participatory Design (PD) process of a narrative-based Mixed Reality (MR) game to design a prosociality test for children with and without Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC). The first level of Dragonice, a narrative-based game, was designed to promote prosociality by achieving Interpersonal Entrainment (IPE). To test prosociality after experiencing IPE in the Dragonice experience, different non-technological behavioral tests were used, such as the economical game, island game, and cooperative game. After conducting these tests, to overcome the limitations of nontechnological tests and maintain a continuous narrative of the experience in full-body interaction experience in MR, it has been decided to design a technological prosociality test for children using mixed reality: the second level of Dragonice. This thesis focuses on structuring the participatory design activities and analyzing the results of the process of the second level, Dragonice Collaborative Experience. The aim of this interactive experience was to examine whether children play collaboratively or individually after the IPE effect through the first level. The main goals of this study are (i) to understand the needs, preferences, and perspectives of children by applying storytelling strategies and making prototypes collaboratively based on narrative co-creation in the design process of the new collaborative game and (ii) to have feedback and observations from their perspective for future improvements after the design process. Qualitative and quantitative analysis was applied to analyze participants’ drawings, storytelling activities, prototypes, and questionnaires after PD sessions. For future studies, the full-body interactive MR experience, the second level of Dragonice, can be used as a technological test to assess prosociality in children with and without ASC after achieving IPE with synchronous and asynchronous conditions.
Emerging leadership effect on group outcomes in CSCL activities
(2023-10-27) Blasco Royo, Laia
Research has demonstrated that Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) is beneficial in fostering students’ engagement and enhancing their learning outcomes. Consequently, the effect of group settings in learning environments have been thoroughly explored, as well as the roles that can surface from those interactions and settings. Learners’ roles within CSCL can be either scripted or occurred naturally and help to coordinate the activities. This work emphasizes the emergence of the leadership role as one of the important elements that influence the collaborative process and thus the groups quality of learning and task outcome. The findings of the research provide initial insights into the emergence of leadership and the dissemination of coordinative leadership behaviours across two educational levels. These results highlight the need for further investigation to compare different educational levels and their respective approaches to leadership behaviour.
Hacking into the Memory Palace. . A study on the effects of spatial clustering and active learning on item memorization
(2023-10-27) Benazet i Montobbio, Pau
Plenty of research has been conducted on the role of space in organizing memories. Recent studies indicate a connection between spatial clustering and free-recall memory performance. However, the long-term stability of this effect remains poorly understood. While voluntary learning is known to benefit memory, little research has explored whether actively creating spatial structure and information clusters offers additional advantages compared to passive scenarios of previous studies. To address these questions, we created an original, fully immersive virtual reality setup. In the first experiment, we investigated the role of semantic organization in memory and its relationship with spatial clustering. Participants were presented with items categorized under clear semantic groups and were tasked to organize and memorize them spatially. The semantic organization of memory outperformed other methods (e.g., temporal or spatial organization) and remained evident even after two weeks. In the second experiment, we eliminated semantic clustering to examine the effects of volition and active creation of spatial structure and its relation to spatial and temporal clustering. Actively creating and organizing spatial structure significantly reduced forgetting rates for the memorized items. While spatial and temporal clustering were observed immediately after the tests, they were not present after the two-week period. These findings highlight the crucial role of volition in encoding and retaining information, suggesting that actively creating memory structure (spatial, semantic, or temporal) is fundamental for long-term declarative memory. Additionally, the study revealed the persistence of semantic organization over time, whereas temporal and spatial organization vanished after two weeks, indicating different roles in short-term and long-term memory organization. This study offers valuable insights for the development of new learning techniques, memory-friendly environments, and spatial computing interface
The effects of a synchronous full-body interactive mixed reality system on the prosocial behavior of children with and without autism spectrum condition
(2023-10-27) Schumacher, Karina
Prosociality refers to behaviors that are intended to benefit others and is, therefore, a key element of a thriving society. Fostering prosocial behaviors in children with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) can be more challenging than in children without ASC. ASC is characterized by repetitive behaviors and difficulties with social skills, speech and nonverbal communication. With more emerging Information Communication Technologies (ICT), there are modern approaches, such as full-body interaction Mixed Reality (MR) systems, for intervention methods with the aim to help children with ASC to reduce the symptoms that interfere with their daily life. Interpersonal entrainment (IPE) has been shown to increase prosocial effects, such as sharing or cooperating, in groups that experience this state together. The Full-Body Interaction Laboratory at Universitat Pompeu Fabra has developed an MR experience for children that can be played in a synchronous mode, aiming to achieve higher IPE, and an asynchronous mode. The main goals of this study are (i) to define a measure to test the prosocial behavior of children with and without autism, (ii) to analyze if there is a significant difference in the prosociality of children after playing the game in synchronous or asynchronous mode using the defined measure of (i), and (iii) to perform a gender analysis on the prosocial behavior using the measure of (i). After an extensive literature review, two behavioral tests were defined that measure the sharing behavior (Stickers-Game) and the cooperative behavior (Ducks-Feeding-Game) of children. The analysis showed no significant difference in the sharing and cooperative behavior of children who played the synchronous version of the Dragonice game compared to the children of the asynchronous and baseline versions. There were also no significant differences found in the prosocial behavior between boys and girls. Further adaptations are needed to achieve the goal of promoting prosocial behavior with the synchronous version of the game. Moreover, future research can explore the effect of the improved Dragonice game on children with ASC. This research has promising implications for creating a more inclusive environment and positively impacting both children with autism and society.
Investigating decision making process in a 2d grid world: a hotel lobby experiment
(2023-10-18) Ak, Cansu
Recent research into video game playing (VGP) has produced varied and inconclusive results. Past investigations have indicated potential positive impacts of VGP on cognitive abilities, specifically enhancements in areas such as visuospatial aptitude, processing speed, working memory, the ability to handle multiple tasks and speed of decision making. During the decision-making process humans operate with past experience and different cognitive skills when they take actions and make decisions in the world. In recent years there has been a wide range of research drawing on different fields such as psychology, neuroscience and the combination and interdisciplinary approach of these research fields in the context of artificial intelligence, specifically reinforcement learning. From early philosophy to the present, human behavior is anchored in the idea of operating with two minds. The field of neuropsychology have focused on two different modes of human decision-making process also referred to as the dual-process model of behavior: controlled versus automatic processes, one more deliberate interacting with goals and the other focusing on reflexive, habitual and driven by affects. Both modes habituation and deliberation have been subjects of research. The arbitration between both modes of the decision-making process has developed to a research interest. Due to biological and behavioral similarities in reinforcement learning, both processes can be examined and understood. The following thesis has the purpose of examining how video game experience influences habituation and deliberation processes in human decision-making.
Dashboard for Environmental Awareness Education
(2022-10) Balcells Falgueras, Paula
An educational dashboard can provide opportunities for new methodologies and learning activities aligned with the 21st -century skills and the challenges of our society, such as the fight against climate change. In the context of the TEASPILS project, a dashboard has been developed as part of an IoT system to monitor the environmental conditions of plants, with the aim to promote environmental awareness among students and their teachers. The adoption of such a learning technology enables experience-based activities, but can also arise multiple questions about its impact on students. While dashboard tools for teachers in formal education have been extensively covered in the literature, fewer studies have focused on students, and even lesser on environmental dashboards for education. This research has addressed the implementation of a dashboard for environmental awareness education from different points of view, by designing learning activities based on the TEASPILS dashboard and by implementing and analysing the impact of different dashboard systems -mirroring, alerting, and advising- on the problem-solving skills of primary school students. For these purposes, a workshop around the topic of data analysis to understand the best conditions for a plant was conducted with primary and high school students, bringing the concept of the TEASPILS IoT system into real classrooms for the first time. Results showed a significant positive impact of the activities on the environmental awareness goal. Although no significant differences were found in problem-solving performance between experimental groups, other differences and observations allowed us to gain insight and to unfold some preliminary answers and further questions on the use of AI in education through alerting systems.
Overcoming allostatic challenges through predictive robot regulatory behavior
(2022-10) Orozco Castiblanco, Valeria
Internal processes such as homeostasis and allostasis operate to keep the internal environment within desired conditions to sustain fitness by satisfying rising needs such as thirst or hunger. However, when two or more needs are to be satisfied, the organism faces a conflict and based on diverse factors, from interoceptive sensations to external stimuli from the environment, one of the needs is prioritized and satiated over another. Allostasis, as a predictive mechanism, is at the core of effective regulation and conflict resolution. In this work, we simulate competing emerging needs such as thirst and internal temperature by adding a feedforward module (Allostasis), responsible for the predictive behavior of a simulated agent over an already existing model of reactive homeostasis, in which the agent is placed within an environment of constantly changing temperatures. Incorporating the anticipatory layer happens at two conditions, single and multiple drive prediction, and it is hypothesized that the agent under the predictive conditions will have less homeostatic error over time compared to the reactive one. The results show a significant reduction of homeostatic error on both conditions upon the addition of the feedforward controller, supporting and contributing to the literature on allostatic anticipation and effective regulatory control. Moreover, methodological recommendations for further research are given based on the limitations found in the development of this study.
Studying the physiological relationship between Cognitive Flexibility and Moral Decision-Making
(2022-10) Kahali, Sajad
As a human, moral decision-making plays a crucial role in our life because the consequences of our decisions affect others' welfare. Our physiological changes (i.e., increased heart rate) might influence our judgment. Furthermore, our ability to deal with the outcomes of our decisions is essential to move on with our lives. This study investigates the physiological relationship between cognitive flexibility, which commonly refers to the ability to shift cognitive set to perceive and respond to situational demands and moral decision-making. Heart rate variability (HRV), the time intervals between adjacent heartbeats change, and pupil dilation are being used as biomarkers to observe our physiological changes when facing new circumstances. The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) measures cognitive flexibility and a set of moral dilemmas in the virtual environment employed for moral decision-making tasks. Our findings demonstrate a positive correlation (not statistically significant) between cognitive flexibility and variability in the deontological and utilitarian decisions. A positive correlation (not statistically significant) has been found between resting state HRV and cognitive flexibility. A negative correlation (not statistically significant) is seen between resting state HRV and consistency in moral decision-making. We compared our participants' reports with their pupil behavior when facing different moral contexts. A positive correlation (not statistically significant) has been noticed between the reports and pupils' diameter changes when they face a moral decision-making task. Although none of our findings were statistically significant, this research contains great prospects for enhancing our understanding of the link between cognitive flexibility and moral decision-making.
Modeling social conventions with Sequential Episodic Control
(2022-10) López Hernández, Adriana
Computational models can help bring light to the underlying cognitive mechanisms responsible for the emergence of conventions in human societies. In order to pro- vide meaningful theoretical insight, these models of behavior should aim to resemble human-like performance. Deep Reinforcement Learning (deep RL) algorithms fail to do so; these techniques are data inefficient and require several training instances to approximate the speed of human learning. Episodic Reinforcement Learning (ERL) algorithms, for their part, seek to improve deep RL algorithms by implementing memory buffers that can counter the sample inefficiency problem. Nonetheless, this approach also falls short because it considers memories as isolated, discrete events. On the other hand, episodic control models provide a model-free, non-parametric ap- proach capable of rapid learning, thus resembling more closely human performance. These algorithms introduce a fast memory system inspired by the hippocampus that allows them to search for a solution without having to make strong assump- tions about the world. The present work will test the adequacy of one particular episodic control algorithm, the Sequential Episodic Control (SEC) model to sim- ulate human behavioral data in a repeated coordination game. This project will compare the modeled and behavioral data concerning efficiency, fairness, and sta- bility measures to evaluate the model’s performance. Finally, given the structure of the model, this project will examine the potential theoretical implications of human conventionalization, as well as the limitations and future work on this approach.
I know what you type: empathy in real-time typed Computer Mediated Communication
(2022-10) Micozzi Ferri, Lorenzo
We tend to give the design of the environments that host our daily digital interactions with other humans for granted. As we march towards a future where our digital life is always more prominent, is it time that we start asking more questions about the type of mediation that the digital tools we use operate on our social, emotional and cognitive experiences? In this thesis I will try to highlight the importance of researching experimental digital environment and tools that take into account the nature of human communication and interaction. As a stepping stone towards a clearer understanding of what we have access to, in terms of empathic relation with the "digital other", right now (and what could we aspire to in the future), this research leverages the emerging knowledge about keystrokes dynamics and typing patterns as a window on the dyadic dynamics that are observed during the experiment conducted. Given the complex nature of language and communication, observations based on affective computing research are framed in a social, neuroscientific and cultural context, as to give a complete map of the issue. While this research focuses on experimental text-based communication, I hope that many will be inspired to conduct their own studies, proposing new ways of being with the other in the digital era.
Promoting Prosocial Behavior in Children with and without Autism Spectrum Condition by Using a Full-Body Interactive Mixed Reality System
(2022-10) Ercan, Sena Beste
Autism spectrum condition (ASC) is a neurodevelopmental disability that can result in social and communication difficulties. There are many therapy approaches and interventions developed and used to be able to help individuals who are diagnosed with ASC. These approaches and interventions mainly aim at helping those people so that they can function better and easier in society. In addition to the traditional interventions for autism spectrum conditions, with the development of technology, different interventions are being developed. These innovative interventions allow children with ASC to develop their social and communication skills. The potential of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), especially full-body interaction mixed reality systems, is found as effective as the traditional therapy for children with ASC to train their social initiation skills. However, even before social initiation, children with ASC can gain a prosocial attitude. Interpersonal entrainment is found to increase the prosocial behavior of individuals. However, there is not enough study to see how interpersonal entrainment can be achieved by using technology, and how this entrainment can affect the prosocial behavior of children with and without ASC. Therefore, the main goals of this study are (i) to analyze the design of an experience by using the full-body interaction MR system, where children can experience interpersonal entrainment, and (ii) to see if this experience helps children with and without ASC increase their prosocial attitude. The interactive experience was evaluated through questionnaires, system logs, tracking maps, and behavioral tests. Results of the study demonstrate how full-body interactive experience can be powerful to achieve interpersonal entrainment and give great insight into interaction design. Further research on this system can be done to give the children different types of experiences to see how these experiences can differ from each other in terms of having interpersonal entrainment and fostering prosocial behavior, and also to implement the system in school settings where it can be more accessible since having easier access to the system can help children with ASC cohere with society.
Behavioral Correlates of Habituation and Deliberation: a virtual reality study with the Hotel Elevator Rows task
(2022-10) Fettweis Neto, Lydia
Humans are often confronted with partial information, nevertheless, the human brain manages to adapt to and act upon the constantly changing environment. A widely accepted idea in psychology, neuroscience and behavioral economics is that multiple distinct systems exist in the human brain which work in conjunction to achieve the best overall outcome. In this view the brain arbitrates between a more deliberate and effortful system and a more habitual and effortless one to use its limited resources more efficiently, while still being able to act in accordance with the dynamic environment in which it is. In this thesis, we are going to study this arbitration through correlates of habituation and deliberation in a virtual reality behavioral experiment based on a one-choice reinforcement learning task. We hope to further our knowledge about these two systems and therefore help to better understand decision-making in humans and its neurophysiological foundations.
The Effects of Breath Training on Users' Experience in a Virtual Reality Stroke Rehabilitation Game
(2022-10) Zhang, Xiaoming
Stroke patients can regain their motor and cognitive functions through rehabilitation based on neuroregeneration. Following the development of technology, Virtual Reality serious games have brought stroke rehabilitation to a new level due to the lower cost, higher levels of interaction, and more real-life-related tasks. During the rehabilitation, the user's internal status, such as emotion, fatigue and stress level, can affect their learning and training experience. However, many rehabilitation games did not consider these factors, and the effect remains poorly understood. The purpose of this thesis is to study how to improve users' training experience by manipulating the user's internal status positively. As an effective method to reduce anxiety and increase parasympathetic activity, breath training is applied in the rehabilitation relaxation section. A controlled experiment is conducted to test the effects of the breath training relaxation section: the control group was guided to sit still between different training sections, while the experiment group had deep breath guidance during their relaxation time. Results indicate that the users' internal status did not significantly differ during the training. However, the experiment group showed a lower level of stress and a higher level of satisfaction after the rehabilitation training. In conclusion, short- term breath training relaxation can improve user satisfaction by reducing user pressure. However, it does not influence users' internal status during the training and does not affect users' emotions and performance.
Evaluation of the effects of COVD-19 pandemic on moral decision-making using affective rating
(2022-10) Tigau, Andrei
The measures taken by the public authorities to reduce the spread COVID-19 virus during the pandemics put the population under challenging psychological conditions, generating stress, depression, and other potential long-term mental health issues. One of the long-term effects of the pandemic measures might be related to how we make moral decisions. This subject is important considering that specifically in this difficult period, a lot of decisions need to be made, by the health authorities, by the governments of the countries, by the doctors, as well as by any individual. Recent work has proved that moral-decision making was, indeed, modulated by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, why is this happening, or any relationship between this modulation and the affective states of the people during times of crisis remains unclear. Consequently, there are a pair of questions regarding this subject that need to be addressed: Do people follow more utilitarian or more deontological approaches given the extreme conditions of a pandemic? Trying to give a response to these questions, in the current study an online experiment was run. Firstly, we assessed what was the effect of the pandemics on the affective states of the participants, by asking them to provide affective ratings for a set of images and report on their emotional states during the pandemics. Afterward, they were given a set of classical moral dilemmas, evaluating the way they make moral decisions. In this study, there were observed trends showing that more emotionally affected people are making more utilitarian decisions, but the results were not significant statistically. Moreover, people that have reported that they felt the sensation of panic during the COVID-19 pandemic showed less consistency in their responses while solving moral dilemmas. Another important finding of this report is that people had the tendency of making more deontological decisions while being part of a group. Given the importance of morals in our society, this study is relevant, not only to raise awareness about the pandemic-potentiated biases that may interfere with the way people are making moral decisions but also to help find solutions for mitigating eventual concerning patterns.

Navegar

Examinar

Enviaments recents