The influence of moral reasoning on adolescent decision-making and stress responses during VR social-moral conflict

The findings indicate that the practical application of moral reasoning in adolescents is strongly moderated by situational pressures and developmental factors. While higher moral reasoning may not buffer against acute stress or improve immediate decision-making in intense social conflicts, this study highlights the value of VR for examining moral behavior in ecologically valid contexts. Future research with larger samples is needed to verify the potential stress-buffering trend.