Social and Moral Psychology of The Unknown – Utilizing The Science Fiction Method

Social and moral psychology increasingly intersect with the study of how people perceive and engage with hypothetical scenarios, many of which are rooted in imagined futures or alternative realities. Historically, research in these domains has leaned heavily on constructed dilemmas and thought experiments—such as the famous trolley problems—to probe moral intuitions and social reasoning. However, this approach has often been restricted to familiar or present-day contexts, leaving vast territories of human cognition underexplored, especially regarding our engagement with future technologies, societal developments, or entirely new states of existence as depicted in science fiction. Despite the pervasiveness of speculative narratives in shaping cultural imagination, the psychological processes underlying our responses to such possibilities remain underinvestigated.Recent scholarship has begun to uncover how exposure to speculative, science-fictional situations can elicit unique cognitive and emotional responses, revealing both the adaptability and limitations of moral reasoning. Studies drawing on future-oriented scenarios indicate that people’s attitudes, biases, and fears about the unknown may be deeply informative; these reactions serve as psychological “illusions” that illuminate the underlying mechanics of social cognition, much as perceptual illusions inform visual science. Yet, the mechanisms by which individuals and collectives process the morality of radically novel realities—be it contact with extraterrestrial intelligence, pervasive human-machine relationships, or the sudden emergence of new capabilities or lifeforms—have not been systematically studied.This Research Topic aims to expand the boundaries of social and moral psychology by systematically leveraging the science fiction method. By rigorously examining how people respond to imaginative, unprecedented scenarios, we seek to reveal the deeper structures of social cognition underpinning our attitudes toward the unknown. Contributions are encouraged to address how speculative realities challenge existing moral frameworks, invite new forms of bias or empathy, and potentially shape societal norms as we envision and prepare for emergent futures.Recognizing the unprecedented reach of the science fiction method, this Research Topic welcomes empirical, theoretical, and methodological contributions that investigate human responses to speculative realities, while remaining rooted in scientific rigor. To gather further insights into the psychological processes that govern our understanding of the unknown, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:- Moral and emotional reactions to contact with extraterrestrial life or non-human intelligence- Social cognition and ethical reasoning in scenarios involving advanced technologies (e.g., human-machine relationships, robotics, AI)- Biases, stereotypes, and group processes in imagined societies or with novel human attributes (e.g., genetic enhancements, superhuman abilities)- The impact of speculative abilities or new sentient lifeforms (e.g., talking animals, telekinesis) on moral judgments and social inclusion- Perceptions of identity, agency, and morality in cloning or self-replication scenarios- Methodological innovations in using science fiction narratives to study social and moral cognition- Implications for real-world moral development and societal adaptation to technological change- Altered states of consciousness, psychedelics and spiritualityWe invite original research articles, empirical studies, theoretical reviews, methodological papers, opinion pieces, and interdisciplinary perspectives. Topic editors: Michael Laakasuo, Marianna Drosinou, Ville J Harjunen, Mia Silfver Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79954/social-and-moral-psychology-of-the-unknown---utilizing-the-science-fiction-method