Moral Identity and Subjective Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Identity Commitment Quality.

Peng Cui,Yufan Shen,Yanhui Mao,Jianhong Ma

doi:10.3390/ijerph18189795

Abstract

Moral identity is associated with people’s subjective well-being; however, little is known about how an individual with moral identity relates to one’s subjective well-being. Based on the eudaimonic identity theory, the current study proposed that identity commitment quality is a critical mechanism that links moral identity (two dimensions: internalization and symbolization) and subjective well-being. We examined our hypotheses in 419 college students, who completed the Self-importance of Moral Identity Questionnaire, Satisfaction with Life Scale, Scale of Positive and Negative Experience, and Questionnaire for Eudaimonic Well-being. Results confirmed significant positive correlations among moral identity, identity commitment quality, and subjective well-being; findings also suggested that both the internalization and symbolization dimensions of moral identity predicted subjective well-being through identity commitment quality, and identity commitment quality fully mediated the pathway relationship between moral identity and subjective well-being. We discussed these findings with respect to implications and proposed research suggestions for future studies.

Highlights

After a thorough analysis of the estimated parameters, it was found that the direct path from the two moral identity dimensions to subjective well-being (SWB) did not reach a statistically significant level: from internalization to SWB (β = −0.01, p = 0.59), and from symbolization to SWB (β = 0.25, p = 0.10). These results indicated that internalization and symbolization may not be directly associated with SWB
We examined which symbolization, significant indirect effects were obtained; these redimension of moral identity exhibits a more crucial role via indirect effect comparison sults indicated internalization and symbolization, respectively, played a significant role analysis, as the confidence interval of the difference between the two indirect effects in SWB through the mediation of identity commitment quality
The present results suggested that the relationship between moral identity and SWB was fully mediated by identity commitment quality, suggesting that the importance of identity commitment quality was the main way to link moral identity with positive psychological subjective experience

Summary

Introduction

Empirical research on happiness and well-being has grown enormously [1]. Morality is believed to be strongly associated with happiness [2]; even young children believe that a moral person would be happier [3]. Empirical evidence on the link between morality and happiness has been well-documented in research records [4,5], of which some have suggested that engaging in moral behavior can bring us happiness (for a review, see [6]). The development of adolescents’ identity, especially the integration of moral identity and self-identity, is a direction worthy of researchers’ attention. The relation between morality and happiness or well-being remains vaguely understood, especially during the critical period of identity formation in late adolescence and early adulthood

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Discussion

Conclusion