Ethics and Us: A Review of the Moral Psychology Field

The field of moral psychology is a field of growing interest as psychologists become more interested in the study of how people make decisions about right and wrong. Research from several different disciplines has contributed to the study of moral psychology, making it inherently interdisciplinary. Moral psychology finds its roots in philosophical theories, before finding its place in developmental psychology. More modern research includes contributions from anthropology, evolutionary psychology, neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and more. Future moral psychology research may discover more disciplines that can contribute to the research and explain the real-life implications of people’s moral systems. This paper traces the history of moral psychology research in a chronological review of the related literature. With several suggestions for future research, this review first presents an overview of the literature before providing ideas for the future of moral psychology research.