Levels Of Moral Maturity Research Articles

Humanistic foundations of the legal system: dialectics of theory and practice in the conditions of modern challenges

The article is devoted to the study of the principle of humanism as the fundamental basis of the modern legal state. The author examines the historical development of the concept of humanism from the ideas of ancient philosophers to modern concepts of human rights, emphasizing its key role in the formation of the legal system and state policy. The work analyzes the concept of «principle» and its meaning in the legal context. The author emphasizes the systematic nature of the principles of law, their interrelation and hierarchy, which is critically important for understanding their role in the formation and functioning of the legal system. Special attention is paid to the principle of humanism as a cross-cutting element of the legal system. Its key aspects are considered: recognition of the inherent value of each person, respect for human dignity, provision of conditions for the realization of rights and freedoms, striving for the common good. The author emphasizes that humanism in law is not only an ethical ideal, but also a practical guideline for law-making and law enforcement. The article also examines certain aspects of the dialectical opposition between humanism and anti­humanism, which allows for a deeper understanding of the dynamic nature of humanistic principles and their role in the development of the rule of law. The author emphasizes the need for constant critical review of existing norms and institutions for their compliance with humanistic ideals. An important aspect of the research is consideration of the relationship between the level of moral maturity of society and the implementation of the principle of humanism. The author claims that in a morally developed society, respect for the rights and freedoms of the individual becomes an organic component of everyday life, which creates a harmonious coexistence of ethical principles and legal norms. In the conclusions, the author emphasizes the need not only for formal enshrining of humanistic principles in legislation, but also for their practical implementation in all spheres of social life. This requires constant improvement of the legal system and state administration in order to maximally satisfy the needs and interests of citizens, which is a key feature of a truly legal and democratic state.

When Do Korsakoff Patients Justify Immoral Behaviors? The Influence of Premorbid Delinquency and Self-Other Perspectives in Moral Decision-Making and Moral Reasoning.

Korsakoff's syndrome (KS) is a chronic neuropsychiatric disorder caused by a vitamin B1 deficiency. KS is characterized by profound amnesia and often accompanied by poor executive functioning, decreased social-cognitive abilities, and difficulties in behavioral regulation. As moral behaviors and attitudes may provide insight in socio-behavioral interactions, the current study aimed to evaluate everyday moral maturity by administering self- versus other-oriented moral dilemmas in a group of KS patients (n = 20) and healthy controls (n = 20). Responses were scored according to the Kohlberg stages of moral reasoning. Furthermore, we assessed premorbid delinquency and current neurocognitive functioning as possible relevant factors. Our results show that KS patients were prone to lower levels of moral maturity when confronted with moral dilemmas relating to themselves, compared to dilemmas relating to (un)personal others in KS patients, while healthy subjects showed an opposite pattern. Moral immaturity could find its origin already before the onset of the KS diagnosis, as suggested by the elevated premorbid levels of delinquent behavior and correlation between premorbid delinquency and moral maturity in KS. Lower moral maturity could therefore be a possible predisposing factor to both delinquency and later development of Korsakoff's syndrome.

ÖĞRENCİLERİN GEÇMİŞTEKİ DEĞER ODAKLI EĞİTİM YAŞANTILARININ GELECEKTEKİ AHLAKİ DAVRANIŞLARINA ETKİSİ

Values education is tried to be given to students both implicitly and explicitly in schools. It is important to determine the effects of educational experiences in schools on students' behaviors. This study, which examines the effects of students' past value-oriented educational experiences on their future moral behavior, was carried out with an exploratory sequential design, one of the mixed-method designs. The quantitative universe of the research consisted of 8th-grade students studying in Istanbul. The qualitative study group was selected among the students, primary school teachers and administrators according to the scale values. Three different scales and semi-structured interview forms were used to collect data. According to the results, the moral identity of the students significantly predicted their moral maturity and social responsibility levels. It can be concluded that schools and teachers who attach importance to values education are more effective in the moral behavior of students in their future lives. It is observed that schools carry out independent studies on values education in their curricula and teachers who use the method of learning by living in accordance with the constructivist education approach are successful in acquiring values. Values education produces effective results when it is a part of school culture.

Level of Self-Educational Competence of Cadets of Higher Educational Institutions with Specific Training Environment

Modern times put forward fundamentally new requirements for the qualification of a modern law enforcement officer, his moral maturity, common cultural and intellectual levels. A law enforcement officer must be an educated, highly cultured person, have profound professional knowledge and skills in various fields, and be able to constantly improve his level of knowledge and skills i. e. to possess a high level of educational competence formedness in order to successfully perform his official and civic duties. The purpose of the research is to investigate the current level of the cadets’ self-educational competence formedness in the process of their training in a higher educational institution with specific training environment. The research involved 167 fourth (graduate) year cadets of the National Academy of Internal Affairs (Kyiv). Research methods: theoretical analysis and generalization of scientific and methodological literature, documents and results of educational activities, observations, questionnaires, method of expert assessment, methods of mathematical statistics. The level of the cadets’ self-educational competence formedness was assessed according to four components such as motivational-personal, cognitive-informational, operational-activity and reflexive-volitional. It was found that the cadets’ self-educational competence is an integral part of professional competence and at the same time an indicator of the success of their professional and personal development. It was found that the level of most of the studied indicators of the cadets according to the distinguished components is low. This indicates the need to substantiate and implement pedagogical conditions for the formation of self-educational competence of the cadets i. e. future law enforcement officers in the process of their training in higher educational institutions with specific training environment, as an important prerequisite for effective performance of their professional tasks.

An Empirical Research on the Relationship Between Moral Maturity and Peace in Sufis

Araştırmanın amacı sosyo-psikolojik yöntemlerden faydalanarak betimsel bir yaklaşım ile sufilerin ahlaki olgunluk ve huzur düzeylerini etkileyen faktörleri incelemek ve ahlaki olgunluk ile huzur arasında nasıl bir ilişki olduğunu ortaya koymaktır. Araştırmanın örneklemi 23 yaş ve üzeri Çorum, Kırıkkale, Ankara ve İstanbul illerinde yaşayan 5 yıl ve üzeri süredir tasavvufi yaşantı içerisinde olan bireylerden amaçlı ölçüt örnekleme yöntemiyle belirlenen 740 erkekten oluşmaktadır. Batı’da ve ülkemizde hayat memnuniyetlerini ifade için kullanılan psikolojik iyi oluş ve mutluluk üzerine çeşitli çalışmalar yapıldığı fakat huzur ve sufilerin yaşantısı konusunda çalışmaların sınırlı olduğu görülmektedir. Bu nedenle araştırma ülkemizde gerçekleştirilen uygulamalı çalışmalara huzur kavramı ve tasavvufi yaşantı konusunda katkı sunacaktır. Ahlaki olgunluk ve huzuru sufilerden oluşan katılımcılar üzerinde inceleyerek bu konudaki bilgi birikimine katkılar sunmak araştırmanın hedefleri arasındadır. Demografik özellikleri tespit etmek amacıyla araştırmacı tarafından hazırlanan kişisel bilgi formu ile birlikte katılımcıların ahlaki olgunlukları ile huzur düzeylerini belirlemek için Şengün ve Kaya’nın geliştirdiği “Ahlaki Olgunluk Ölçeği” ve Demirci’nin geliştirdiği “Huzur Ölçeği” kullanılmıştır. Araştırmada 66 maddelik Ahlaki Olgunluk Ölçeğinin “Cronbach Alfa Güvenirlik Katsayısı” .87 ve 8 maddelik Huzur Ölçeğinin “Cronbach Alfa Güvenirlik Katsayısı” da .73 olarak tespit edilmiştir. Ulaşılan veriler SPSS 25.0 istatistik programına aktarılarak analizler yapılmıştır. Araştırma sonunda katılımcıların ahlaki olgunluk seviyelerinin yüksek düzeyde olduğu bulgulanmıştır. Ayrıca, sufi grup içerisinde bulunma süreleri ve ahlaki olgunluk seviyeleri arasında anlamlı bir farklılaşma olduğu bulgulanmıştır. Bulgular, katılımcıların kendilerini grup üyesi görme düzeyi arttıkça, ahlaki olgunluk düzeylerinin de arttığına işaret etmektedir. Örneklemin tasavvuf ritüellerini düzenli olarak yapmaları ve ahlaki olgunlukları arasında anlamlı bir farklılık bulgulanmıştır. Tasavvuf ritüellerini düzenli olarak yapan grubun ahlaki olgunluk düzeyinin ritüellerini yapmayan grubun ahlaki olgunluk düzeyinden yüksek olduğu belirlenmiştir. Örneklemin ortanın üzerinde bir huzur düzeyine sahip olduğu görülmüştür. Örneklemin gruba giriş yılı ile huzur düzeyleri arasında da anlamlı ilişki bulgulanmıştır. Katılımcıların grupta bulunma süresi arttıkça, huzur düzeylerinin de arttığı tespit edilmiştir. Örneklemin tasavvufa ait ritüellerini düzenli olarak yapmaları ile huzur düzeyleri arasında ileri düzeyde bir anlamlılık olduğu görülmüştür. Tasavvufa ait ritüellerini düzenli olarak yapan grubun huzur düzeyinin ritüellerini yapmayan grubun huzur düzeyinden yüksek olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Genel ahlaki olgunluk ve genel huzur arasında orta düzey pozitif yönlü (r=,30; p=,00) bir ilişki bulgulanmıştır. Katılımcılarda ahlaki olgunluğa ilişkin düzey arttıkça katılımcıların huzur seviyesi de artmaktadır. Ayrıca, ahlaki olgunluğun huzurdaki varyansın %9’unu açıkladığı tespit edilmiştir. Bu oran, katılımcıların huzurlarının belirleyicilerinden birisinin ahlaki olgunluk özellikleri olduğunu göstermektedir. Ahlaki olgunluk huzurun anlamlı ve önemli bir yordayıcısıdır ve ahlaki olgunluğun artması huzuru etkilemektedir. Araştırmanın bulguları temel hipotez ile alt hipotezlerin istatistiksel açıdan doğrulandığını ve ahlaki olgunluğun huzurun önemli ve anlamlı bir yordayıcısı olduğunu ortaya koymuştur.

An Investigation of the Effect of Moral Maturity on Consumer Ethics

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of consumers’ levels of moral maturity on their unethical behavior. Design/methodology/approach – The research model of this study examines the effect of moral maturity on consumer ethics dimensions (“actively benefiting from an illegal situation” and “benefiting from actions perceived as harmless”). The universe of this descriptive research consists of consumers living in Turkey. The online survey method was applied to 457 consumers selected by convenience sampling method. While creating the questionnaire, moral maturity statements were prepared by using the scales developed by Sengun and Kaya (2007), and the consumer ethics statements were prepared by the help of the scale developed by Muncy and Vitell (1992). The results have been analyzed with SPSS and AMOS statistics programs. Frequency analysis, reliability analysis, explanatory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation model analyses have been used. Findings – The findings suggest that the level of moral maturity has a significant and negative effect on both unethical consumer behavior dimensions: “actively benefiting from an illegal situation” and “benefiting from actions perceived as harmless”. Discussion – Moral maturity refers to the assimilation of moral principles, the evaluation of moral rules by the conscience, and the realization of actions in this direction. People who have reached the level of moral maturity are expected to display ethical behaviors in the society in daily life. According to the findings of the research, as the moral maturity of the individual increases, the possibility of exhibiting unethical behavior decreases; as the moral maturity decreases, the possibility of unethical behavior increases. The results obtained show how effective the concept of morality on ethical consumer behavior is. Marketing managers should consider the moral maturity of consumers in order to understand their unethical behaviors. In this direction, activities (such as training, seminars, public spots, education for children) can be carried out to increase the level of moral maturity of consumers. Besides this, marketing managers can prevent unethical consumer behaviors by applying different marketing strategies (in the conclusion section, the recommendations are mentioned in detail) to consumers with low/high moral maturity level.

Moral reasoning, moral decision-making, and empathy in Korsakoff's syndrome.

Korsakoff’s syndrome (KS) is a neuropsychiatric disorder, caused by a vitamin B1 deficiency. Although it is known that patients with KS display diminished theory of mind functioning and frequently exhibit marked antisocial interactions little attention has so far focused on the integrity of moral decision‐making abilities, moral reasoning, and empathy. In an experimental cross‐sectional design, 20 patients diagnosed with KS, and twenty age‐, education‐, and gender‐equivalent healthy participants performed tests assessing moral decision‐making, moral reasoning maturity, empathy, and executive functioning. Participants were administered the Moral Behaviour Inventory (MBI) for everyday moral dilemmas, and ten cartoons of abstract moral dilemmas. Responses were scored according to the Kohlberg stages of moral reasoning. Empathy and executive functioning were assessed with the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). In contrast to frontal traumatic brain injury patients, KS patients did not display a utilitarian bias, suggesting preserved moral decision‐making abilities. Of interest, KS patients had significantly lower levels of moral reasoning maturity on everyday moral dilemmas, and abstract moral dilemmas. In patients, empathy was moderately related to the level of moral maturity on both tasks, while executive functioning was not. In conclusion, KS patients have preserved moral decision‐making abilities, but their moral reasoning abilities are poorer in everyday and abstract situations. Lower moral reasoning abilities and lower levels of empathy together may be responsible for adverse social functioning in KS.

The Level of Moral Maturity of the Students Learning at the Department of Primary Education

Bu çalışmanın amacı Eğitim Fakültesi Sınıf Öğretmenliği bölümünde öğrenim gören öğrencilerin ahlaki olgunluk düzeylerini tespit etmek ve buradan yola çıkarak ilgili bölümde yürütülen eğitim faaliyetlerine yönelik önerilerde bulunmaktır. Araştırmada veri toplama aracı olarak Şengün tarafından geliştirilen “Ahlaki Olgunluk Ölçeği” kullanılmış ve araştırma verileri Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal, Yıldız Teknik, Marmara, Kastamonu, Gazi ve Afyon Kocatepe Üniversitelerinin Eğitim Fakültelerinde öğrenim gören 482 öğrenciden elde edilmiştir. Araştırma sonucunda ilgili bölüm öğrencilerinin ahlaki olgunluk puan ortalaması x̄=279, 89 olarak tespit edilmiştir. Ayrıca ölçekten elde edilen puanın farklı değişkenler arasından anlamlı farklılaşma durumunu test etmek için ilişkisel analizler yapılmıştır. Neticede cinsiyet, yaş ve dinî yönden kendini tanımlama biçimi değişkenlerinin ölçek ortalamasına anlamlı farklılaşmaya sebep olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Sonuç itibariyle araştırma verileri şunu göstermiştir ki yarının sınıf öğretmenleri olacak olan eğitim fakültesi sınıf öğretmenliği bölümü öğrencilerinin ahlaki olgunluk düzeyleri nispeten yüksek çıkmış olsa bile bu alanda halen iyileştirmeye ihtiyaç duyulan hususlar bulunmaktadır. Ayrıca dinin ahlaki bir yaşantıyı teşvik ettiği ve kendini “dindar” olarak tanımlayanların ahlaki olgunluk düzeylerinin kendilerini “az dindar” olarak tanımlayanlardan daha yüksek olduğu dikkate alındığında en azından bu yönde talebi olan sınıf öğretmenliği bölümü öğrencilerinin dinî bilgi ve birikimlerini arttırmak noktasında İlahiyat Fakülteleriyle iş birliği yapılarak onlara sunulacak seçmeli dersler üzerinden destekleyici bir din eğitimi imkânı sunulmalıdır.

Bilim ve Sanat Merkezi (BİLSEM) öğrencilerinin ahlaki olgunluk düzeylerinin incelenmesi

Bu araştırmada Bilim ve Sanat Merkezlerindeki özel yetenekli ortaokul öğrencilerinin ahlaki olgunluk düzeylerinin belirlenerek incelenmesi amaçlanmaktadır. Bu amaçla 2020 yılında Bolu Bilim ve Sanat Merkezindeki ortaokul öğrencilerine gerekli izinler alınarak “Ahlaki Olgunluk Ölçeği” uygulanmıştır. Araştırma betimsel tarama modelinden oluşmaktadır. Veriler, SPSS 15 paket programı kullanılarak çözümlenmiştir. Normal dağılım gösteren veri gruplarında t-testi, tek yönlü varyans analizi (ANOVA), Tukey testi ve ortalamalar kullanılmıştır. Sonuçların anlamlı olup olmadığı .05 düzeyinde test edilmiştir. Öğrencilerin ahlaki olgunluk düzeylerinin “çoğu zaman” düzeyinde olduğu görülmektedir. Öğrencilerin ahlaki olgunluk düzeyleri ile cinsiyetleri, örgün eğitimdeki okul türleri ve babalarının eğitim düzeyleri arasında ise anlamlı bir fark var bulunmamaktadır. Öğrencilerin örgün eğitimdeki sınıf seviyeleri ve annelerinin eğitim düzeyleri ile ahlaki olgunluk düzeyleri arasında anlamlı bir fark var bulunmaktadır.

Development of spiritual and moral personality of student-athletes, based on the educational role of classic works

The article describes and presents the implementation results of a pilot model aimed at the spiritual and moral development of studentathletes’ personality using a classic work. The necessity of spiritual and moral development of student-athletes, which is a key component in the formation of a successful athlete, is substantiated in the article. The proposed model contributes to the increase of the spiritual and moral maturity level in the framework of the sports university curriculum. The unified structure of the “Foreign language” discipline is provided. Considering the prior to and after implementation results, the criteria of the spiritual and moral development of athletes when working on the classics in a foreign language class are updated.

Investigation of moral maturity and tolerance trends of primary school students in terms of various variables

Recently, morality and tolerance are among the most important concepts of education. The upbringing of morally mature children as tolerant individuals is a vital factor for individuals to develop a relationship. Moral maturity refers to the state of being competent in terms of moral emotion, thought, judgement, attitude and behaviour. A total of 43 boys and 151 girls from Altindag district of Ankara formed a sample group of 194 children. Personal Information Form, Moral Maturity Scale and Tolerance Tendency Scale were used in this study. The results revealed that according to the gender of the students, it is seen that there is a difference in tolerance acceptance, tolerance value and tolerance empathy levels. It is seen that girls’ acceptance and tolerance empathy levels are higher than boys. It is seen that there is a difference in tolerance empathy levels according to the educational level of parents. It is seen that there is a difference in tolerance empathy and tolerance acceptance levels according to the working status of parents of students. According to the monthly income level of students’ families, there was no significant difference between moral maturity, tolerance empathy, tolerance value and tolerance acceptance levels. This is thought to be due to the fact that most of the parents have a similar income level. According to the number of siblings of students, there was a significant difference in tolerance empathy and tolerance value levels. It was found that there was a relationship between students’ level of moral maturity and tolerance acceptance level. It was found that there is a relationship between tolerance empathy, tolerance acceptance level and tolerance value of students.
 Keywords: Moral maturity, tolerance.

Visual Encoding of Social Cues Contributes to Moral Reasoning in Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Eye-Tracking Study.

Eye-tracking studies suggest that visual encoding is important for social processes such as socio-moral reasoning. Alterations to the visual encoding of faces, for example, have been linked to the social phenotype of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and are associated with social and communication impairments. Yet, people with ASD often perform similarly to neurotypical participants on measures of moral reasoning, supporting the hypothesis of differential mechanisms of moral reasoning in ASD. The objective of this study was to document visual encoding and moral reasoning in ASD and neurotypical individuals using a visual, ecological, sociomoral reasoning paradigm paired with eye-tracking. Two groups (ASD, Control) matched for age and IQ completed the SoMoral task, a set of picture situations describing everyday moral dilemmas, while their eye movements and pupil dilation were recorded. Moral understanding, decision-making, and justification were recorded. Participants with ASD presented a longer time to first fixation on faces. They also understood fewer dilemmas and produced fewer socially adaptive responses. Despite a similar average level of moral maturity, the justifications produced by participants with ASD were not distributed in the same way as the neurotypical participants. Visual encoding was a significant predictor of moral decision-making and moral justification for both groups. The results are discussed in the context of alternative mechanisms of moral reasoning in ASD.

Examining the Relation between Social Values Perception and Moral Maturity Level of Folk Dancers

The purpose of the present study is to examine the relation between social values perceptions and moral maturity levels of folk dancers, and evaluate this relation in terms of some variables. The relational screening model was used in the study. The “Multi-dimensional Social Values Scale”, which was developed by Bolat (2013), and the “Moral Maturity Scale”, which was developed by Şengün and Kaya (2007), were used as the data collection tools. The sampling of the study consisted of 251 volunteering individuals who were selected with the Random Selection Technique from among the individuals who participated in Interuniversity Folk Dances Championship in 2016-2017. In the scope of the study, the descriptive statistics were computed for social values perceptions and moral maturity levels of the folk dancers. In evaluating the data of the study, frequencies and percentage distributions were used as statistical method. In addition, the t-test was used for paired groups, the one-way variance analysis (ANOVA) was used for multiple groups, and the Pearson Correlation Analysis was used to detect the relation between the variables. The p value of significance was taken as 0,05 in different tests.When the findings of the study were examined, it was determined that the social value perceptions and moral maturity levels of the folk dancers who participated in Interuniversity Folk Dances Championship were at a high level, and there was a significant relation in positive direction between the perceptions in all sub-dimensions of the Multi-Dimensional Social Values Scale and the moral maturity levels of the participants. In this context, it is possible to claim that as the moral maturity levels of the folk dancers increase, so do their social values perceptions. When the social value perceptions were analyzed in terms of sub-dimensions, it was determined that the highest perception was in religious values sub-dimension, and the lowest perception was detected in political values. When the findings of the study were analyzed in terms of demographical variables, it was determined that there were significant differences between some of the sub-dimensions of the Social Values Scale and the “gender, the faculty studied at, folk dances experience, income level and the place where the participant spend most of his/her life” variables.

"Legitimacy, Performance, and China's Democratic Future—Navigating between Prudential Pragmatism and Moral Idealism"

"Legitimacy, Performance, and China's Democratic Future—Navigating between Prudential Pragmatism and Moral Idealism" Gang Lin (bio) Jiwei Ci, Democracy in China: The Coming Crisis. Cambridge and London: Harvard University Press, 2019. x, 420 pp. Hardcover $45.00, isbn 978-0674-23818-3. During the third wave of democratization, liberal democracy gained popularity in the world. In the past decade, however, it lost momentum, leading to an arguable view of worldwide democracy decline.1 In the case of China, the quest for democracy started well before the third wave, when the first republic in Asia appeared in 1911, although the early rehearsals of representative democracy in that country were unsuccessful. What China has practiced since 1949 is socialist democracy informed by Karl Marx's communist thought but constrained by social and economic underdevelopment and an inexorable legacy of authoritarianism cohabitated uncomfortably with partial and periodical egalitarianism. The Chinese Formula (zhongguo fang'an, in the words of Xi Jinping) of democracy featured by Leninist democratic centralism and one-party leadership is at odds with universally accepted definition of democracy contributed unilaterally by Western democratic societies, where the mainstream views disregard China as a democracy, simply relegating to lip service that country's official upgrading of democracy, freedom, equality, justice, and the rule according to law as part of socialist Core Value (hexin jiazhi). The subject of Jiwei Ci's book—democracy in China—is explored with such arguable conventional wisdom. The coming crisis as the subtitle actually refers to the legitimacy of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), rather than democratic fortune in China. Actually, the main theme of the book is why China needs a democratic change and how China can overcome the related challenges with appropriate responses. This volume demonstrates its strength in theoretic/philosophical discourse and logical reasoning, free from empirical hypothesis and verification relying on quantitative analysis. From a prudential perspective, Ci makes a strong argument in the Introduction that China is in an urgency to bring about a democratic regime complementary to its democratic society. While people may disagree on such asynchronism in China's political and social developments, Ci believes China [End Page 177] has developed a substantial degree of democracy in society based on "equality of condition," a concept used by Tocqueville in his pathbreaking book Democracy in America.2 From this viewpoint, political democratization in China is justified not so much by moral desirability as by prudential necessity for reason of institutional fittingness and governability on the part of regime. This does not suggest that the author has no normative inclination on this value-laden subject. As Ci contends at the very beginning, one extraordinary challenge to liberal democracy is its "oligarchic capture" manifested by growing "polarizing effects of globalization and digital technology" in the United States and, to a lesser degree, other advanced European countries (p. 2). However, liberal democracy, despite its drawbacks, is still better than other choices for China. This does not suggest China can easily approach such a desirable—however modest—and necessary goal. Four daunting challenges to China's democratization are presented thereafter: (1) the inexorable role of the ruling CCP, (2) the absence of a basic level of individual and societal moral maturity, (3) the weakening of the party's centripetal capacity of holding a vast country full with ethnic diversity but lacking democratic tradition, and (4) a lack of preexisted institutions to balance democracy against capitalism as well as neoliberalism. According to Ci, these daunting challenges require prudent responses. This book is divided into three parts. The first part (chapters 1 and 2) argues that a looming legitimation crisis calls for an urgent and prudent response. Legitimation crisis is a hot issue in the field of China studies after Mao, as by-products of reform and openness, economic inequality, social polarization, and official corruption have agitated a new legitimation crisis in China. In response to the wave of global democratization, the CCP has tried to "keep pace with the times" and perpetuate its lifespan by transforming itself from a revolutionary ruling party into a "developmental ruling party"—regaining its ruling legitimacy by building a relatively prosperous society and rejuvenating the Chinese nation. In other words, the ruling...

Moral Maturity Levels of Imam Hatip High School Students: The Case of Ortakoy District

The aim of this research is to determine the moral maturity levels of the Imam Hatip High School students. It is also to analyze whether the level of moral maturity differs according to gender, class level and place they stayed. The study was carried out on 220 students of the İmam Hatip High School in the district of Ortakoy in Aksaray in the academic year 2016-2017. The study is a descriptive screening model. The '' Moral Maturity Scale '' developed by Şengün and Kaya (2007) and the '' personal information form '' created by the researcher were used as data collection tools in the study. Scale is a likert type measure of 66 items. The reliability of the scale is 0.89. As a result of the study, it was determined that 55 % of the Imam Hatip High School students had a moral maturity level above the average. In addition, gender, class level, and place they stayed did not make a significant difference on the level of moral maturity.

Moral Reasoning in Children with Focal Brain Insults to Frontotemporal Regions

Neuroscientific evidence indicates that human social functioning is supported by a distributed network of frontal and temporal brain regions that undergoes significant development during childhood and adolescence. Clinical studies of individuals with early brain insults (EBI) to frontotemporal regions suggest that such lesions may interfere with the maturation of sociocognitive skills and lead to increased sociobehavioural problems. However, little attention has focussed on the direct assessment of sociocognitive skills, such as moral reasoning, following focal EBI. In the present study, the performance of 15 patients with focal EBI (8–16 years) was compared to that of 15 demographically matched controls on basic neuropsychological measures (IQ and executive functions), sociocognitive tasks (moral reasoning, moral decision-making and empathy) and parent reports of sociobehavioural problems and social adaptive skills. Patients with focal EBI had significantly lower levels of moral reasoning maturity, moral decision-making, and empathy than their matched controls, but did not differ on more general measures of cognition. Their parents also reported increased sociobehavioural problems. These findings suggest that focal EBI to frontotemporal regions can result in reduced sociocognitive capacities, more specifically moral reasoning, and increased vulnerability to sociobehavioural problems.

The Relationship between Moral Maturity and Sense and Behaviors of Responsibility in Gifted Children

The main objective of the present study is to investigate the relationship between moral maturity and sense and behaviors of responsibility in gifted children. The secondary objective of the study is to compare the levels of moral maturity, sense of responsibility and behaviors of responsibility of gifted students (GS) and those of students with average intelligence level (SWAIL). The relational survey model has been employed in the study. The data was collected from 200 SWAIL attending the 6th and 7th grades in primary education schools in Ankara and 200 GS attending ‘Science and Art Centers’ (Turkish: BILSEM). The Scale for the Moral Maturity and the Sense and Behaviors of Responsibility was used as the data collection tool. In determining the differences between variables, the Independent samples t-Test was used for the variables which demonstrate normal distribution depending on the Kolmogorov Smirnov coefficients being insignificant at the p<.05 level. The correlation analysis was used in order to determine the correlations between the variables. At the end of the study, GS were found to be more mature in moral terms and to have a higher sense of responsibility compared to SWAIL. In the study, a statistical significant positive correlation (p<.01) was observed between moral maturity and sense and behaviors of responsibility in GS. In addition, a positive correlation (p<.01) was determined between the sense of responsibility and the behaviors of responsibility. Keywords: Responsibility, moral maturity, gifted, superior abilities/intelligence

A preliminary investigation of moral reasoning and empathy after traumatic brain injury in adolescents

Primary objective: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) sustained during childhood can affect a number of socio-cognitive skills; however, little attention has focused on the integrity of moral reasoning in the assessment of post-TBI social sequelae and the role of empathy and intelligence on moral maturity.Research design: In a quasi-experimental, cross-sectional research design, moral reasoning maturity and empathy in adolescents with mild-to-severe TBI (n = 25) were compared to typically-developing peers (n = 66).Methods and procedures: Participants were administered the So-Moral and So-Mature, tasks of socio-moral reasoning and maturity, the Index of Empathy for Children and Adolescents, the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence and a demographic questionnaire.Main outcomes and results: Participants with TBI had significantly lower levels of moral reasoning maturity. Further, adolescents with moderate-to-severe TBI had lower levels of empathy. Empathy correlated positively with moral reasoning abilities and, together with intellectual function, predicted a small, but significant proportion of moral reasoning outcome.Conclusions: Youth who sustained TBI during childhood have poorer moral reasoning abilities than their non-injured peers, potentially placing them at risk for poor social decision-making and socially maladaptive behaviour. This can have a significant impact on long-term social functioning.

The relation between candidate teachers' moral maturity levels and their individual innovativeness characteristics: A case study of Harran University Education Faculty

The purpose of the present study is to determine the relation between the moral maturity levels of candidate teachers and their individual innovativeness characteristics. The population of the study consisted of undergraduate students who were registered at Harran University Faculty of Education in the 2011 to 2012 academic year. Data were collected through the individual innovativeness scale and the moral maturity scale in the study. The validity and reliability tests of both scales were conducted by the researcher. According to the results obtained, it was determined that students were at the questioning level of individual innovativeness. The moral maturity level of students was found to be high. A positive and low level relation was determined between the students’ level of individual innovativeness and their level of moral maturity.

The Adapted Version of the Sociomoral Reflection Measure (SRM-AV) in Dutch Forensic Psychiatric Patients

We developed a new instrument for measuring moral maturity in Dutch forensic psychiatric patients with the Sociomoral Reflection Measure-Short Form as a starting point. This instrument contains 11 propositions to which respondents indicate their own perceived level of importance and justifications of their choices. Twenty new statements were added to these 11 propositions. Justifications of the responses were scored with the aid of a seven-point scale, each point representing a (transitional) level of moral maturity. In order to have a practical instrument, we deleted 11 items with the lowest interrater reliability of the 31 items. The internal consistency, interrater reliability and test-retest reliability of the new instrument with the remaining 20 items (SRM-AV) were good. Validity was supported by significant correlations with age, psychopathy, agreeableness, and verbal aggression. Patients scored significantly lower on the SRM-AV than two non-clinical control groups. For the time being, the SRM-AV appears to measure moral maturity in forensic psychiatric patients in a reliable and valid way.