Frequently Asked Questions

 

We're always looking to improve the Moral Sense Test and the MST website. The MST is currently in its first version, so feedback is especially appreciated. However, before you fill out a problem report, please consult the list below of frequently asked questions. If your problem is still not resolved, then please submit a report.

 

Technical Issues and Troubleshooting When I click the "Proceed to Test" icon on the participate page, no popup test window appears. The popup test window appears but is completely blank. The popup test window appears and I can get to the first demographics page, but am unable to enter anything into the field for question 6b. The popup test window appears and I can get past the 2 demographics pages, but then the test freezes on one of the questions. Everything works fine, but some of the scenario questions are cut off.

Research, Data and Methodology When and where can I read about the results of the Moral Sense Test? How can we learn about morality from hypothetical examples? Can data collected on the World Wide Web be trusted? What are MST's plans for future tests? Why was I warned that I might find the MST's questions and results to be disturbing or offensive?

Technical Issues and Troubleshooting

1. When I click the "Proceed to Test" icon on the participate page, no popup test window appears.

   Please check to see that you have any popup-blocking software disabled. In addition, please ensure that your browser has Javascript enabled.

2. The popup test window appears but is completely blank.

Please be patient. The Flash application can take up to 1 minute to load over a 28.8k or 56k modem. If the application still has not loaded, then please check to make sure you have the latest version of Macromedia Flash installed on your computer. In addition, while the vast majority of configurations are compatible with the site, a small percentage of systems have incompatibilities with Flash, including some versions of MacOS/IE, Linux/Mozilla, and Windows/Opera or Mozilla. Please submit a report, and we will work to isolate and resolve these issues.

3. The popup test window appears and I can get to the first demographics page, but am unable to enter anything into the field for question 6b.

   On some browsers, the text box for question 6b does not display a blinking cursor. However, if you click in the box and begin typing, it should accept your input. We are currently working on a permanent fix.

4. The popup test window appears and I can get past the 2 demographics pages, but then the test freezes (fails to respond to keyboard input) on one of the questions.

   If you are able to read the first question, then it is most likely that the Flash test popup window has lost the browser's focus. Try clicking inside the popup window and then see if the keyboard is responsive.
   If you are unable to read the first question, then please submit a report.

5. Everything works fine, but some of the scenario questions are cut off.

   This problem has been reported in a few systems running MacOS/Safari. Try clicking inside the text and dragging the mouse down; this should let you read the end of the question. We are currently working on a permanent fix.
   Please note the question where the error occurred (note the name of the person involved in the scenario) and submit a report.

 

Research, Data and Methodology

1. When and where can I read about the results of the moral sense test?

   The MST is still at the data collection phase, but we hope to be analyzing and publishing our results soon. As our results are published they will be posted on the website, so be sure to check back soon. Since knowledge of our hypothesis and preliminary results could bias test-takers' answers we cannot release data from each phase of our research until that phase is completed and the data prepared for publication.

2. How can we learn about morality from hypothetical examples?

At first it may seem odd to test real-world moral intuitions with hypothetical examples, especially since the hypotheticals sometimes make unrealistic assumptions. But research in the biological and social sciences has revealed that unrealistic situations sometimes yield the best insights into real-world phenomena. For instance, humans have strong grammatical intuitions about nonsense sentences and strong visual intuitions about impossible optical illusions. The MST is exploring analogous intuitions about moral situations.

3. Can data collected on the World Wide Web be trusted?

   Part of our research project is to compare answers on the World Wide Web with answers provided in more traditional test settings. Our hope is that visitors to this site will take the project seriously and answer as honestly as they can.

4. What are MST's plans for future tests?

   Among our future plans are to introduce translations of the tests hosted on this site, to make them available in streaming audio and animations, and to expand the bank of test questions. The test(s) that you have taken represent only a subset of the problems we are exploring. Return visitors will experience a broader array of moral dilemmas as well as situations that help refine our understanding of particular cases.

5. Why was I warned that I might find the MST's questions and results to be disturbing or offensive?

   We offer this warning because some subjects who take the MST may be uncomfortable with their own decisions, and the ways in which we interpret these decisions. Sometimes people are surprised at their own judgments. Other times people are uncomfortable with the very questions we ask. Usually participants find the test unproblematic, but we make this warning statement as a precaution.