Identity Status and Moral Reasoning: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Marcia's identity statuses and Kohlberg's stages of moral reasoning through techniques of meta-analysis. The following databases were examined for relevant studies from 1967 to 2005 using the search terms “identity status,” “Marcia and identity,” “Marcia's and identity,” and “ego identity”: PsycINFO, ERIC, Sociological s, and Dissertation s International. The search found 17 studies that examined linkages between moral reasoning and identity development, and 10 provided sufficient detail for examination through meta-analysis. The results showed a strong association between high identity status and postconventional moral reasoning (mean OR = 4.57) and between identity achievement and postconventional moral reasoning (mean OR = 6.85), and a small to moderate positive mean correlation between identity status and moral reasoning (). The results are discussed in terms of implications for future research.