Cultural Neuroscience of Moral Reasoning and Decision-Making

Reasoning and decision-making, as an important aspect of a person's high-level cognition, may be influenced by cultural differences. For example, Asians tend to frame the decision to help as a matter of moral responsibility, whereas Americans are more likely to frame it as one's personal choice. In this chapter, we will discuss the cultural differences in high-level cognition, in regards to moral reasoning and decision-making, especially between the Chinese and American cultures. We will also explore the associated brain networks of cultural variation involved in this reasoning and decision process.