Moral Psychology and Economic Game Theory

Recently, experimental economists have become increasingly interested in behaviors relating to morality, and one of the main tools for examining these issues has been game theory. Even though developmental psychologists have investigated similar topics for decades, this research has found little resonance. Similarly, economists have only recently started to become interested in moral developmental psychology. In this article, we explore the implications of an interconnection of these two disciplines. Adopting a game theoretical perspective promises to open novel avenues to investigate the moral development of children using a different theoretical and methodological point of view. Developmental psychologists can contribute their knowledge about the ontogenesis of moral abilities and competencies to economic research. We will give examples of recent applications of economic game theory in the field of (moral) developmental psychology by particularly focusing on developmental processes, moral cognitions, and moral emotions.