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Individual moral judgment and cultural ideologies.
1Department of Educational Psychology and Center for the Study of Ethical Development, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus, Minneapolis 55455, USA. narvaez@tc.umn.edu
Developmental Psychology
|March 19, 1999
Summary
Moral judgment and cultural ideology are distinct yet interconnected. Combining measures of moral judgment and cultural ideology powerfully predicts moral thinking, such as opinions on human rights.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Moral Development
Background:
- Moral judgment and cultural ideology are often studied separately.
- Understanding the interplay between individual moral reasoning and societal influences is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the predictive power of combining moral judgment and cultural ideology on moral thinking.
- To examine the parallel and reciprocal relationship between moral judgment development and cultural ideology socialization.
Main Methods:
- Study 1: Selected two churches (N=96) with differing religious ideology, political identity, and moral judgment.
- Study 2: Replicated findings in a secular sample.
- Utilized multiple correlation to assess predictive relationships.
Main Results:
- A combined measure of moral judgment and cultural ideology significantly predicted moral thinking (Study 1: R=.79; Study 2: R=.77).
- Moral judgment development and cultural ideology socialization occur simultaneously and reciprocally.
Conclusions:
- Moral judgment and cultural ideology are distinct but interact dynamically.
- This interaction shapes individuals' moral thinking and opinions on societal issues like human rights, abortion, and free speech.