Moral Reasoning in Irish Children and Adolescents as Measured by the Defining Issues Test

Abstract

The utility of the Defining Issues Test (DIT), as a measure of moral reasoning in the Republic of Ireland, was investigated. The subjects were 508 Catholic male and female Irish children and adolescents in three age groups: 12–13, 15–16, and 18–19 years old. The effects of sex, type of environment, (urban or rural), and age were investigated using analysis of variance. The findings indicated that there was a significant age effect (older subjects scoring higher), a significant sex effect (females scoring higher), and a significant interaction of age and sex. Further analysis indicated that the fact that the 12–13 year old females scored higher than would be expected from U.S. samples, caused the significant sex and sex X age effects. No significant differences were found between the urban and rural samples. The results were interpreted as indicating support for the use of the DIT in Ireland and in terms of the possible influence of the Catholic Church on the development of moral reasoning.