Moral Judgment Intervention Studies Using the Defining Issues Test

Abstract

Fourteen moral judgment intervention studies were reviewed and evaluated. All used Rest's (1974) Defining Issues Test as an index of moral judgment development. Results showed that significant changes on the Defining Issues Test were related to duration and type of intervention and degree of experimental control over treatment variables. The studies provided independent support for the ability of the instrument to index upward movement after intervention programmes designed to influence development. Half the studies produced significant developmental change.     

Modes of Moral Thought

Abstract

This paper reviews current theories of moral development and points out a number of common aspects which appear to lack full empirical support. An alternative theory of moral development, proposed by Norman Williams, is tested here and its main conclusions receive tentative support. These are that moral development is cumulative rather than linear in nature and that it takes place within four separate modes ‐‐ expedient, altruistic, intuitive and heteronomous ‐‐ in parallel.

It is suggested that this classification scheme provides a valuable research tool for investigating the relationship between moral thought and variables such as age, sex, intelligence and social class, but that confirmation of its basic hypotheses is essential before further research can be undertaken.     

Changing Subjects: growing up and growing older

Abstract

Following a review of the changing uses of narrative in moral development research, a personal narrative from an interview with a secondary teacher, who is also a parent of an adolescent is analyzed. Without standard question interruptions, the narrator crafts an ironic tale of contradictory feelings and actions. Trust is proposed as both an affective and evidential/proof dimension of the relationship between adolescents and adults, as well as among all concerned about moral development and education.     

Some Effects of Teaching Designed to Promote Understanding of Racial Issues in Adolescence

Abstract:

Moral education must be based on universal religious values, such as equality and faith, if it expects to have an impact on character development The central objective of our moral education programme is co‐operation. To specify what is meant by co‐operation, three of its aspects ‐‐ courtesy, consultation and service ‐‐ are discussed. Methods of facilitating moral development fall into three categories: ground rules, modelling, and moral reasoning. These methods must be used jointly if they are to be effective. Releasing the potential of both the society and the individual constitutes the goal of moral education.     

The Problem of Sophomoritis: An Educational Proposal

Abstract

‘Sophomoritis’ is identified as a period of adolescent development concerned primarily with raising all kinds of moral questions but also doubting all answers. It is suggested that this questioning often manifests itself in the form of uncritical relativism and naive egoism, and that it is potentially dangerous in that it is elevated to the status of an absolute external moral authority instead of a means to restructuring a new form of moral judgment. Criticism is leveled at educational institutions for implicitly supporting sophomoritis, particularly through ‘Introductory Ethics’ courses. A proposal is made for a course which instead utilizes the students’ natural development, together with the conceptual perspectives of moral philosophy, to stimulate development towards a principled form of moral autonomy.     

Self-determination theory,morality, and education: introduction to special issue

ABSTRACT

Self-Determination Theory (SDT) is an empirically based organismic theory of human motivation, development, and well-being that shares many points of interest with the fields of moral development and moral education. Yet, SDT has been largely disconnected from these fields so far. How can we define and empirically assess autonomous moral motivation? How is moral autonomy achieved in the course of development? And what are the relationships between leading a moral life and happiness? These questions have been occupying moral psychologists and educators for a long time. They are focal for SDT, as well. This special issue highlights various lines of intersection between SDT, morality and education. Contributions either expand SDT into the moral domain or incorporate elements of SDT into moral theory with the ultimate goal of integrating fields that inherently belong together.     

Moral Education and the Training of Teachers

Abstract

In this study of the relationship between moral behaviour, level of moral development, and motivation, moral behaviour was assessed in an experimental situation in which it was necessary to violate the experimenter's authority to help someone; level of moral development was assessed by Kohlberg's Moral Judgment Scale, and motivation by a post‐experimental interview.

Although 72 per cent of the subjects stated afterwards that they felt that they should help, only 43 per cent did, and only 6 per cent volunteered their own service. As the level of moral development rose, an increasing percentage of subjects helped. Subjects interpreted the same situation differently and were motivated to make the same response for different reasons, which varied with their level of moral development.     

Parenting Huckleberry Finn

Abstract

We suggest in this paper that attempts to segregate social‐conventional reasoning from the moral domain may represent an artifactual division, one that ignores major philosophic and psychological traditions and cultural constructs regarding the moral self. We address such issues as the individual, social, and relational dimensions of morality; the cultural context of moral development and behavior; and whether morality is solely a matter of justice, harm and welfare considerations, or concerned as well with culturally variable definitions of the good self and the good society, with role obligations, and with caring and affective aspects of human experience. We conclude with a call for continuing narrative and anthropological approaches to the study of moral development in order to reach a fuller understanding of the multiple facets of moral life.     

Moral Theory and Educational Practice: a Reply to Ian Gregory

Abstract

Taking terminological questions as a starting point the authors give an overview of the theory and practice of moral education in Germany. Special emphasis is given to the historical background of current theories of moral development as well as to legal and political questions concerning the present state of moral education in W. Germany. The authors are clear about the ways which should be chosen and the issues which should be dealt with if moral education is to meet the tasks and challenges posed by modern society and by problems of democracy, peace, and ecology. Nevertheless, they are sceptical whether these will be attempted by moral education in W. Germany.     

Differences in Achievement Test Scores Associated with Item Exposure Time and Audio Reinforcement

Abstract

Using the Hartshorne and May circles test, cheating behavior was detected among 152 undergraduates under two situations: high threat, high supervision (HTHS) and low threat, low supervision (LTLS). Rest’s Defining Test was used to assess level of moral development. Among all subjects and across both situations it was found that subjects high in moral development cheated less than other subjects (p >.01). However, it was also found that in the LTLS situation, subjects high in moral development were just as likely to cheat as subjects low in moral development. The implications of the findings for moral education and the cognitive developmental theory of moral development are discussed.     

Psychopathy: the Incapacity to have Moral Emotions

Abstract

‘Lovelessness’ and ‘guiltlessness’ are often seen as the distinctive features of the psychopath. These characteristics can be interpreted as a failure to have two sub‐classes of moral emotions, the (moral) rule‐emotions and the altruistic emotions. For a better understanding of this moral defect, a more detailed analysis of these types of moral emotions is given. The analysis indicates that the disorder is caused by the absence of the second component of both types of emotions. The psychopath misses a positive commitment to both moral rules and to the well‐being of fellow man. The psychopath is characterized as a moral imbecile, and it is assumed that his moral development is stagnated in an early developmental stage. As a young child, the psychopath has not acquired the disposition to feel sympathy. This insight makes us aware of the utmost importance of early childhood (moral) education.     

Secondary School Moral Discussion Programmes Led by Social Studies Teachers

Abstract

An experiment is reported on the effect of a moral discussion programme taught in the schools by regular classroom teachers. Number of discussions and type of teacher preparation were varied. Students’ moral judgment stage was assessed before and after the programme and teachers were observed throughout the course of the year. A substantial degree of moral judgment stage change was shown in some but not all of the classrooms. Three variables associated with likelihood of student moral judgment change were number of discussions, range of pre‐test moral judgment stage within the classroom, and teachers’ skills in eliciting moral reasoning from students during the discussions.     

The Existentialists and Problems of Moral and Religious Education: 2. Tillich and Jaspers

Abstract

This assessment of L. Kohlberg's theory of moral development is a dialectical critique focusing on his claim that the sixth stage of moral development is morally adequate, specifically, that it is both comprehensive and fully equilibrated. The dialectical method employed follows the generalized empirical method advanced by B. Lonergan. The paper includes a brief account of this method and of the sixth stage of moral reasoning as outlined by Kohlberg. Employing the dialectical notions of intellectual conversion and moral conversion, it uncovers certain unresolved conflicts of this stage and points to the need for a further moral stage of development, which would be both more highly differentiated and more fundamentally based.     

Moral Development Among Mildly Mentally Handicapped School Children

Abstract

According to the cognitive‐developmental theory, intellectual development is best understood in terms of age‐related changes. This has been found to be a valid theory in the case of mentally subnormal subjects as well, although their development proceeds at a speed and up to a level different from their normal age‐mates. The same theory has been applied to moral development and describes it, likewise, as a stage‐like progress of moral reasoning with age. The present study tries to answer the following question: Does the moral reasoning of the subjects classified as subnormal change with age so that it can be said to develop? According to the results obtained (dealing with subjects nine‐, 11‐, 13‐, 15‐ and 17‐years‐old), the cognitive‐developmental hypothesis of moral development is only partially confirmed. Namely, there is a development from the less to the more mature forms of moral reasoning, but the course of that development is not entirely such as the theory assumes. Moreover, moral reasoning of the subjects in this study is more advanced than their intelligence level as expressed by the IQ score.     

Moral Judgement Development Within the Family

Abstract

This paper examines research and theory regarding the process of moral judgement development within the family environment. Four major issues in research on the family's influence on moral judgement development are outlined and the existing data relevant to these issues are briefly presented. The author's approach to studying these issues is described. The implications of research on moral development within the family for moral education are also addressed.     

Moral identity as a goal of moral action: A Self-Determination Theory perspective

ABSTRACT

This paper aims at connecting Self-Determination Theory (SDT) with research on moral identity. It is argued that SDT provides a unique and integrative framework for addressing important questions that have guided research on moral identity for many years: What is a moral identity? How is it linked to moral action? How do moral identities develop? In the present paper, moral identity is conceptualized as a goal of moral action. Individuals want to maintain their moral identity, which in turn motivates them to act morally. Yet, moral identity motivation is not uniform. In line with SDT, it is possible to differentiate between more or less external and internal forms of moral identity motivation. The exact link between moral identity and moral action depends on the type of moral identity motivation involved. Development of moral identity trends towards more internal forms of moral identity motivation, which renders development an influential factor in shaping individuals’ motivation to act morally.     

Kohl berg's Cognitive‐Developmental Theory in Educational Settings: Some Possible Abuses

Abstract

Kohlberg's cognitive‐developmental theory provides teachers with a framework for understanding the change and development of moral judgment and decision‐making of their pupils. One major abuse, however, may be when teachers take the stage labels associated with the hypothesized stage levels of moral judgment as indicative of static student qualities or characteristics, by placing more emphasis on perceived and labelled qualities than on the actual moral reasoning of the student. This, it is suggested, together with some empirical examples, may obscure the developmental trend of the student's moral judgment or even affect the teacher's expectations and consequently student's performance, and fails to take into account such factors as environment and interpersonal interaction. A study is reported in which curriculum consultants exposed to moral development theory were tested to determine whether they would use Kohlbergian labels of stage content or actual moral reasoning when required to make assessments. Suggestions are put forward as to how moral development theory can be more closely linked to pedagogy.     

Piaget,Moral Development and the Curriculum

Abstract

In The Moral Development of the Child Piaget proposes a sketch of a developmental account of moral judgments, and the sequence of stages which he there proposes have been widely taken to provide a basis for any adequate developmental account. However, if Piaget's work on cognitive development is taken as providing a standard by which to judge such theories it is doubtful that moral development can be accounted for through the use of the equilibrium concept. The very notion of ‘a moral judgment’ with which Piaget works imposes severe restrictions on the adequacy of the theory, leading him necessarily to ignore important issues. Furthermore, there seems to be no underpinning available to secure the necessary order of the stages, and as a matter of fact some children seem to show evidence of a capacity to make advanced moral judgments at an early age. It is argued, therefore, that the search for developmental structures of this kind should be abandoned.     

Deceptiveness in Co‐operation and Competition

Abstract:

The need for a new role for guidance in secondary schools is stressed. Guidance through the curriculum is presented as a means of stimulating cognitive, moral and ego development by secondary school pupils. An experimental curriculum in moral education is described and evaluated. Highlights of the different phases are presented along with a rationale for this new approach. High school pupils learned the process of moral dilemma discussions, developed counselling and teaching skills and then lead moral dilemma discussions with younger children. The results indicated positive changes by the teenagers on estimates of moral maturity employing the Kohlberg Interviews and Ego Development through the Loevinger test. The results are compared to other current studies and general implications for curriculum development, guidance and moral education are drawn.     

Goethe's Faust Revisited: Lessons from DIT research

The argument is made that psychometric forms of assessment are essential to the large-scale adoption of developmental approaches to moral education. In this respect, the Defining Issues Test has been an invaluable tool for research and practice in moral education. However, because such instruments are based upon previous developmental research, they are by definition derivative and unsuited for basic research on moral development. In addition standardised measures, while essential to educational research on the correlates of moral growth, run the risk of reifying extant views and assumptions about morality and moral development. Thus, such measures may stand in the way of generating new knowledge and/or impeding the assimilation of alternative conceptions of morality and social development within educational research and practice. To avoid these problems, while at the same time benefiting from the utility of measures such as the DIT, requires a constant reciprocal interaction between the generation of standardised measures and basic developmental research.