Sylvia Terbeck
Papers
1
Total Citations
62
H-Index
1
About
Dr. Sylvia Terbeck is a cognitive neuroscientist whose research lies at the intersection of moral psychology, social neuroscience, and virtual reality. She is best known for pioneering the use of immersive technologies—including haptic feedback and interactive robotics—to investigate how humans make moral decisions. In her highly cited 2017 work, *Simulating Moral Actions: An Investigation of Personal Force in Virtual Moral Dilemmas* (62 citations), Terbeck demonstrated that realistic tactile feedback in VR can evoke genuine moral conflict, challenging traditional thought-experiment approaches. Her work bridges the gap between abstract philosophical dilemmas and embodied, real-world decision-making, revealing how physical presence and personal force shape moral judgment. Beyond this, Terbeck has contributed to understanding the neurochemical underpinnings of social behavior, including the role of serotonin in prejudice and aggression. Her innovative use of virtual environments to simulate high-stakes ethical scenarios has had a lasting impact on both experimental philosophy and applied ethics. For students and researchers, Terbeck’s work exemplifies how cutting-edge technology can illuminate the oldest questions about human nature, offering a compelling model for interdisciplinary research at the crossroads of mind, machine, and morality.
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Top Papers
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