Delinquency and the development of moral reasoning

A sample of 34 incarcerated male delinquents aged 16-17 and a matched group of controls were compared on self-report measures of delinquency, on Rest's (1975) Defining Issues Test (DIT) of moral reasoning, and on measures of logical operational ability. The mean levels of self-reported delinquency of the incarcerated group were substantially higher than those of the controls. There was no significant difference between the groups in logical operational ability but the mean P score (index of mature moral reasoning) was significantly higher in the control group. However, no relationship was found between moral reasoning and levels of self-reported delinquency. It was concluded that degree and seriousness of involvement of delinquency is unrelated to immaturity of moral reasoning and that the utility of the cognitive developmental approach to moral socialization may therefore be more restricted than has previously been claimed.