How do we become moral people? I’m sure you didn’t leave the hospital after you were born knowing exactly what decision to make in every situation, and if you did, you should definitely win some sort of award for that, or maybe you’re an Avenger🦸. In either case, good for you, but for the rest of us, our moral compasses develop over time. But how?

Moral psychology differs from the philosophical study of morality because the psychology aspect focuses not just on what decisions we make but why and how we make those decisions. Moral psychology considers what factors go into creating our own sense of moral judgment⚖️. Are we morally motivated to do something because we genuinely want to help others, or do we secretly gain something from such acts? It’s no secret that doing good deeds and making good choices make us feel good about ourselves and bragging about these good deeds and choices on social media makes us feel even better. But this can’t be the only reason we do good things. Maybe we just want to avoid the negative feelings that go along with bad decisions. Are some reasons better or more moral than others?