The Effects of Level of Moral Reasoning on Consistency Between Moral Attitudes and Related Behaviors

The hypothesis of the present studies is that the level of consistency between attitudes about moral issues and their related behaviors is partially determined by the nature of the reasoning processes that underlie the attitude. In our studies, reasoning processes were measured by Rest's (1979)...

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Published inSocial cognition Vol. 2; no. 1; pp. 32 - 48
Main Authors Rholes, William S., Bailey, Su
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published New York Guilford Press 01.03.1983
Subjects
Abortion
Advocacy
Attitudes
Behavior
Legal status
Moral development
Moral judgment
Morality
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ISSN0278-016X
1943-2798
DOI10.1521/soco.1983.2.1.32

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Summary:The hypothesis of the present studies is that the level of consistency between attitudes about moral issues and their related behaviors is partially determined by the nature of the reasoning processes that underlie the attitude. In our studies, reasoning processes were measured by Rest's (1979). Defining Issues Test (DIT), an objective test of moral reasoning that is based on Kohlberg's (1969) theory of moral development. Subjects' attitudes toward the legal status of abortions were assessed as well. Then the subjects were given a chance to engage in advocacy behavior that would support their attitude (Study 1) or were asked to sign a petition that was consistent with their attitude (Study 2). Both studies showed that attitude-behavior consistency was higher among persons at more advanced levels of reasoning.
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ISSN:0278-016X
1943-2798
DOI:10.1521/soco.1983.2.1.32