A Closer Examination of the Integrity Scale’s Construct Validity

Abstract

People’s commitment to moral principles affects how they self-regulate and directs people down different ethical paths. The Integrity Scale was designed to assess the strength of people’s commitment to moral principles. Here, we sought to contribute to evaluating the construct validity of the Integrity Scale. We related the scale to various theoretically relevant criteria including low antagonism features, social-cognitive foundations for morality, self-control, rationality, and self-presentation behavior. Suggestive of the scale’s construct validity, the present research showed that scores on the Integrity Scale related to (a) reduced antagonistic-personality features relevant to exploitation and dishonesty more so than immodesty, tough-heartedness, fearlessness, or cynicism; (b) enhanced social-cognitive skills (e.g., cognitive empathy processes); (c) enhanced self-control; (d) enhanced capacities for and reliance on rationality in decision making (e.g., intelligence and cognitive-reflection skill); and (e) enhanced reliance on self-presentation tactics that portray an identity based in high levels of integrity.