A comparison of moral reasoning in drug addicts and nonaddicts

Assessed moral reasoning of 20 male addict patients and 17 nonprofessional male hospital employees by Kohlberg's methods. The mean level of moral reasoning of the drug addict group (2.97) was not found to differ significantly from that of the nonaddict comparison group (2.88). Furthermore, moral reasoning in addicts was not found to be related significantly to a number of background and personality characteristics. The findings, therefore, indicated that moral reasoning and moral behavior are not related significantly in drug addicts. It was concluded that the deviant behavior of this group is more likely the result of a deficiency in ego controls.