Chelsea Schein

Chelsea Schein
  • Lecturer

Contact Information

  • office Address:

    627.2 Jon M. Huntsman Hall

Research Interests: empirical business ethics, moral psychology, political psychology, negotiation, political tolerance

Links: CV

Overview

Dr. Schein is a Lecturer in Legal Studies and Business Ethics at Wharton. She received her PhD in Social Psychology from UNC, Chapel Hill.  Dr. Schein has published in top-tier academic journals including Proceedings of the National Academies of Science, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, Personality and Social Psychology Review, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Emotion, and Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, as well as the New York Times and Harvard Business Review. In her research, she adopt methods of social cognition to explore how people form moral judgments and how understanding our moral psychology can increase well-being and create a more tolerant society. Currently, she is examining how organizations can best navigate political polarization.

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Research

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.

Teaching

Past Courses

  • LGST1000 - 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.

  • LGST2910 - 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.

  • MGMT2910 - 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.

  • OIDD2910 - 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.

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In the News

Understanding Congress’ Impact on Financial Markets

Wharton finance professor discusses how changes in expected federal deficits influence bond yields, inflation expectations, and broader financial markets.…Read More

Knowledge @ Wharton - 2026/06/12
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