Moral Foundations Theory: Validation and replication of the MFQ-2

Abstract

Moral Foundations Theory (MFT) and its accompanying Moral Foundations Questionnaire (MFQ-1) stimulated a large body of research. A revised version (MFQ-2) was recently released, aimed at improving validity. We report three studies testing this new instrument. Study 1 (N = 809) validated the six-foundation structure of the MFQ in U.K. subjects. Study 2 verified this model in independent U.S. data (N = 835). The MFQ-2 was also validated against eighteen external criteria (such as religiosity and left- and right-wing authoritarianism). Finally, in Study 3, subjects were recontacted after seven months to test the reliability of the MFQ-2. All foundations demonstrated acceptable reliability (ω-t = 0.79 to 0.92). Studies 1 and 2 broadly support the six-foundation structure, with well-fitting item-level models closely matching the proposed structure of the MFQ-2. Group factors of individualizing and group were needed. A nuance is that the Loyalty foundation was split into separate factors for Loyalty to a group and a nation. The MFQ-2 demonstrated good reliability and high validity, predicting 17 out of 18 external-validity scales at statistically significant and substantive levels. The MFQ-2 reliably and validly assesses moral foundations, with improved properties over its predecessor.