Chelsea Schein

Understanding Moral Cognition

In my research, I use methods of social cognition to explore the underlying structure of moral judgments. More specifically, I look at how people form moral judgments, how emotions play a role in these judgments, and how moral judgments impact our perceptions of the world. My research suggests that at the heart of moral cognition is a harm based template of intentional agent + causing damage + suffering victim. This template guides our moral judgments, and also shapes perceptions. As soon as an act enters the moral sphere, our perceptions of reality are filtered through a harm shaped lens, making “harmless” moral violations theoretically possible, though psychologically rare.

Understanding and Navigating Political Polarization

In an era of fraught political debates, it might seem like there is an insurmountable divide between liberals and conservatives. One predominant model of morality suggests that moral differences in specific moral issues (e.g. same-sex marriage) reflect fundamental differences in our underlying moral psychology. In contrast, my research suggests that despite descriptive moral diversity, liberals and conservatives share a common moral template centered around harm. I am currently exploring whether appeals to this common denominator of harm can increase political tolerance.

Past Courses

• LGST100 - ETHICS & SOCIAL RESP

  This course explores business responsibility from rival theoretical and managerial perspectives. Its focus includes theories of ethics and their application to case studies in business. Topics include moral issues in advertising and sales; hiring and promotion; financial management; corporate pollution; product safety; and decision-making across borders and cultures.

• LGST206 - NEGOTIATIONS

  This course examines the art and science of negotiation, with additional emphasis on conflict resolution. Students will engage in a number of simulated negotiations ranging from simple one-issue transactions to multi-party joint ventures. Through these exercises and associated readings, students explore the basic theoretical models of bargaining and have an opportunity to test and improve their negotiation skills.

• MGMT291 - NEGOTIATIONS

  This course includes not only conflict resolution but techniques which help manage and even encourage the valuable aspects of conflict. The central issues of this course deal with understanding the behavior of individuals, groups, and organizations in conflict management situations. The purpose of this course is to understand the theory and processes of negotiations as it is practiced in a variety of settings. The course is designed to be relevant to the broad spectrum of problems that are faced by the manager and professional including management of multinationals, ethical issues, and alternative dispute resolutions. Cross listed w/ LGST 206 and OIDD 291.

• OIDD291 - NEGOTIATIONS

  Negotiation is the art and the science of creating good agreements between two or more parties. This course develops managerial negotiation skills by mixing lectures and practice, using cases and exercises in which students negotiate with each other. The cases cover a wide range of problems and settings: one-shot deals between individuals, repeated negotiations, negotiations over several issues, and negotiations among several parties (both within and between organizations). Class participation and case studies account for half the course grade. Students will also write about a negotiation experience outside of class.