Moral volition: the fifth and final domain leading to an integrated theory of conscience understanding

To define discrete developmental levels of understanding of the ways in which normal children and adolescents link autonomy and will to moral obligation and to study the correlation between this progression and previously identified stages of conscience conceptualization.

One hundred thirty-two normal volunteers between the ages of 5 and 17 years were individually interviewed using the moral volition section of the semistructured Stilwell Conscience Interview. Analysis of the interviews resulted in five levels of understanding of moral self-evaluation and volitionally chosen behavior.

Analyses of variance and covariance showed that the five levels of moral volition had significant correlation with five conceptualization stages, with stage criteria showing a stronger correlation than age. Self-identified tasks of oughtness were hierarchically defined beginning with those defining a morality of restraint followed by moralities of mastery/sufficiency, virtuous striving, idealization, and individual responsibility. Perception of increased independence of self in interaction with conscience was noteworthy at stages 4 and 5.

Moral volition is the domain of conscience functioning that defines understanding of moral self-evaluation and volitionally chosen actions; five levels of understanding can be demonstrated in normal children between the ages of 5 and 17 years.