Relations between Moral Judgment, Moral Courage, and Field Independence

Abstract

GIBBS, JOHN C.; CLARK, PHILIP M.; JOSEPH, JACK A.; GREEN, JULIE L.; GOODRICK, TERRY S.; and MAKOWSKI, DAVID G. Relations between Moral Judgment, Moral Courage, and Field Independence. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1986, 57, 185-193. The relationship of moral judgment to moral action as well as to certain cognitive style variables was examined. 134 male and female eleventhand twelfth-grade students completed measures of moral judgment, field dependence-independence, locus of control, and other variables and nominated teachers who then rated the students for tendency to evidence morally courageous action. Moral judgment was examined in terms of not only Kohlbergian moral judgment stage but also moral judgment type, where type B represents ethical ideality (role reversal, conscience, fundamental valuing), and type A limitation to existing social arrangements, in moral decision making. Results were consistent with exploratory hypotheses that type B is a social-cognitive manifestation of field independence and is conducive to socially independent and ethically ideal action (e.g., moral courage). Both moral judgment type B and moral judgment stage maturity were related to moral courage, p < .01, as well as to field independence, p < .01, although not to internal locus of control.