Issues of Interpersonal Responsibility and Accountability: A Comparison of Indians' and Americans' Moral Judgments

Abstract

The present cross-cultural study examined cultural influences on the content conceptualized in moral terms and on judgments of moral accountability. The sample included 24 middle-class American adults, 24 middle-class Indian adults, and 16 lower-class Indian adults. Comparison was undertaken of subjects' evaluations and rule categorizations of 14 everyday incidents involving breaches of role-related interpersonal responsibilities or of justice. It was found that whereas Indians tended to categorize role-related interpersonal responsibilities as moral issues, Americans tended to regard them in personal terms. It was also observed that Indians displayed a significant tendency, not found among Americans, to absolve agents of accountability for justice breaches. No significant effects of sex or socioeconomic status occurred. Results were interpreted as demonstrating that moral reasoning may be based on role-based interpersonal responsibilities and not merely on justice considerations. The findings also implie...