Moral Injury Among Pakistani Lawyers: Measurement, Psychometric Properties, and Validation

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Legal Psychology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Moral injury is a significant concern within legal professions.
• Existing measures may not adequately capture the nuances of moral injury experienced by lawyers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and psychometrically validate a reliable and valid measure of moral injury specifically for lawyers.
• To identify the core dimensions of moral injury within the legal profession.

Main Methods:

• A multi-study approach was employed, involving item generation, expert review, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).
• Samples included lawyers (N=226 in Study I, independent sample in Study II) to assess factor structure, reliability, and validity.
• Convergent and discriminant validity were examined using correlations with related psychological constructs.

Main Results:

• Exploratory factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure: betrayal, transgression, and value system conflict, with four items per factor.
• Confirmatory factor analysis supported the three-factor structure, demonstrating good model fit.
• The scale exhibited strong internal consistency (alpha = 0.78 overall) and evidence of convergent validity with pathological lying and decisional fatigue, while showing discriminant validity from internet addiction.

Conclusions:

• The developed scale is a psychometrically sound instrument for measuring moral injury in lawyers.
• The findings highlight the distinct dimensions of moral injury relevant to legal professionals.
• This measure can aid in understanding and addressing moral injury within the legal field.