Taboo

The aim of this activity is to tell you something about your moral intuitions. It comprises twelve questions. There are a few points to take into account before you start.

1. This activity contains descriptions of a mildly adult nature. If that bothers you, then don't click on the link below.

2. The activity asks you to make judgements about a number of scenarios. You need to treat these as if they are descriptions of real-world events - and respond accordingly. In other words, what we're interested in here are your judgements about the events precisely as they are described in these scenarios (not as you think they would actually occur in the real world).

3. Frequently you'll be asked to make "Yes" or "No" choices. If you aren't sure whether you're a "Yes" or a "No", please choose the response you're most inclined towards. You can then take this into account when you read the analysis at the end. Please don't email to tell us that forced choices can cut up the world rather crudely. We already know (for example, you'll find that this activity doesn't work so well if you answer as though you're an amoralist)!

4. This activity owes a large debt to the work of other people. Obviously, they are not responsible in any way for any of the deficiencies you find here (not least because they have had no input into the activity's development!), but if there are good things then likely they did not originate with the TPM team. The idea for this activity came originally from the chapter called "The Sanctimonious Animal" in Steve Pinker's The Blank Slate. In it, he talked about the work of Jonathan Haidt, Silvia Helena Koller and Maria G. Dias. Their 1993 article "Affect, Culture and Morality" is the major source of the more specific ideas in the activity (including the scenarios we present).

5. At the end of the activity, you'll find quite a long section analysing some of the issues that this activity is designed to elucidate. Obviously, we'd prefer that you read it, but if you don't, please refrain from sending us emails about this activity. We're not likely to reply, if you're asking about something we've already dealt with at length in our discussion of the activity.

6. You need to have Javascript enabled in your browser to have access to all the explanatory material featured in this activity.

7. After the analysis section, you'll find that there is a link so that you can find out how your responses compare to those of other people.

Click here to begin