Moral Scale Research Articles

The differential and accumulative impacts of self and other sources of moral injury on well-being in mental healthcare staff

PurposeResearch has established the prevalence and relevance of moral injury in healthcare workers, though less attention has been paid to the different classes of potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs) experienced by this population and their impact. This exploratory study sought to examine the frequency of self- and other-generated PMIE classes and their associations with demographic characteristics and well-being outcomes among mental healthcare staff.Design/methodology/approachSecondary analysis of data drawn from two cross-sectional surveys of 267 frontline and leadership staff from mental healthcare settings in the UK was conducted. Responses on the Moral Injury Events Scale and the Short Professional Quality of Life Scale were extracted for analysis.FindingsBetrayal by others was most frequently endorsed (61.8%), whilst self-transgressions were least frequently reported (25.5%). After controlling for the number of PMIE classes experienced, betrayal significantly predicted secondary traumatic stress (p = 0.01) and burnout (p = 0.04). Additionally, other transgressions significantly predicted secondary traumatic stress (p = 0.008). The predictive effects of self-transgressions on burnout, secondary traumatic stress and compassion satisfaction were all nonsignificant after controlling for the number of PMIE classes experienced.Practical implicationsFindings highlight differences in the frequency and impact of self and other PMIEs experienced by healthcare professionals. Reducing cumulative exposure to differential PMIE classes appears to be of critical importance to improving occupational well-being in this group.Originality/valueTo our knowledge, this study is the first to explore the associations between PMIE classes and occupational well-being in a mental healthcare population, inclusive of frontline and leadership staff.

Moral distress measurement in animal care workers: a systematic review

ObjectivesThe mental health of veterinary and other animal health professionals is significantly impacted by the psychological stressors they encounter, such as euthanasia, witnessing animal suffering and moral distress. Moral distress,...

The Internal Consistency of the Moral Injury Event Scale

Abstract: The Moral Injury Event Scale (MIES) is a tool for measuring exposure to potentially morally injurious event(s) and distress. Although it reported acceptable psychometric properties in its initial development studies, it has since been used in multiple contexts and populations without assessment of its changing properties. A reliability generalization of the MIES and its Sub-Scales was therefore undertaken. A systematic search of electronic databases (PsychINFO; PTSD Pubs; MEDLINE; Scopus; Web of Science) identified 42 studies reporting internal consistencies (Cronbach’s α) up to April 2022. Unfortunately, few studies reported any other form of reliability or validity metric (e.g., test-retest, inter-rater reliability). A random effects model with a Bayesian analytic framework and the DerSimonian-Laird (1986) estimate was used. The review found the MIES to be an internally consistent tool based on α estimates at both Full-scale (α = .88; 95% CI [.87–.89]) and Sub-scales (α = .82–.92; 95% CI [.79–.93]). The review uncovered high heterogeneity and inconsistencies in its administration and modification although figures generally remained above acceptable levels (α ≥ .70). Based on the review, the MIES represents an internally reliably tool for measuring potentially morally injurious events and distress at both Full and Sub-Scales according to pooled Cronbach’s α estimates.

Привязанность к домашним питомцам и любовь к людям – есть ли связь?

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Objective. </strong>The study is aimed at investigating the relationship between attachment to pets and pro-social personality characteristics – environmental identity, moral motives, and ecological lifestyle. <br><strong>Background. </strong>Attachment to pets is being investigated in the context animal-assisted therapy animal rights protection but the question of the possible contribution of this phenomenon to the development of humane treatment of people is still open. Is it possible to expect that attachment to a pet has a humanizing effect or does retain its specificity without being related to the pet owners’ pro-social attitudes – this research question reflects the main problem of the study. <br><strong>Study design.</strong> The study has correlational design; data was collected online using the 1ka.si service.<br><strong>Participants.</strong> The study sample consisted of 284 respondents (224 women, 60 men, aged 18-76, <em>M</em><sub>age</sub> = 25,4, <em>SD</em><sub>age</sub> = 9,7, mostly owners of cats and dogs, mostly Russian citizens). <br><strong>Measurements.</strong> Validated Russian versions of the questionnaires were used, i.e., the Lexington attachment to pets scale (modified 8-item version prepared in this study), the 30-item Moral motives scale, the 14-item Environmental identity scale, and the 7-item Ecological lifestyle scale. <br><strong>Results</strong>. It has been found that different aspects of attachment to a pet are indeed associated with environmental identity, moral motives (with the exception of self-restraint), and social eco-activism. It is also shown that two aspects of attachment to pets (pet rights and the experience of happiness from communicating with a pet) in different combinations predict the motives of not-harming, helping, social justice, and social eco-activism. <br><strong>Conclusions</strong>. Attachment to pets is positively related to the pro-social attitudes of the pet owners, mostly those reflected an active pet owners’ position, but is not connected with the self-restraint qualities.</p>

Potentially morally injurious experiences and associated factors among Dutch UN peacekeepers: a latent class analysis

ABSTRACT Background: During peacekeeping missions, military personnel may be involved in or exposed to potentially morally injurious experiences (PMIEs), such as an inability to intervene due to a limited mandate. While exposure to such morally transgressive events has been shown to lead to moral injury in combat veterans, research on moral injury in peacekeepers is limited. Objective: We aimed to determine patterns of exposure to PMIEs and associated outcome- and exposure-related factors among Dutch peacekeepers stationed in the former Yugoslavia during the Srebrenica genocide. Method: Self-report data were collected among Dutchbat III veterans (N = 431). We used Latent Class Analysis to identify subgroups of PMIE exposure as assessed by the Moral Injury Scale–Military version. We investigated whether deployment location, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), posttraumatic growth, resilience, and quality of life differentiated between latent classes. Results: The analysis identified a three-class solution: a high exposure class (n = 79), a moderate exposure class (n = 261), and a betrayal and powerlessness-only class (n = 135). More PMIE exposure was associated with deployment location and higher odds of having probable PTSD. PMIE exposure was not associated with posttraumatic growth. Resilience and quality of life were excluded from analyses due to high correlations with PTSD. Conclusions: Peacekeepers may experience varying levels of PMIE exposure, with more exposure being associated with worse outcomes 25 years later. Although no causal relationship may be assumed, the results emphasize the importance of better understanding PMIEs within peacekeeping.

Dispositional mindfulness moderates the links between potentially morally injurious event exposure and symptoms of anxiety and depression but not suicidal ideation.

Exposure to potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs) is a pervasive threat for military service members and may be associated with symptoms of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. However, coping mechanisms, such as mindfulness, may ameliorate symptoms and improve recovery. Two studies were conducted to test dispositional mindfulness as a moderator of the links between PMIEs, as assessed using the Moral Injury Events Scale (i.e., total score and Self-Transgression, Other-Transgression, and Betrayal subscale scores), and symptoms of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation among different samples of active-duty soldiers in garrison. In Sample 1 (N = 310), mindfulness buffered the links between PMIE exposure and symptoms of both anxiety, ∆R2 =.02, and depression, ∆R2 =.03. In Sample 2 (N = 669), mindfulness moderated the link between the MIES Betrayal subscale and anxiety symptoms, ∆R2 =.01. The results suggest that dispositional mindfulness may be a protective factor against some of the negative impacts of PMIE exposure. Further implications are discussed.

Development of indicators and moral intelligence scales for junior high school students: mixed-method research

The purposes of this research were (1) to study the indicators of moral intelligence for junior high school students, (2) to develop moral intelligence scales for junior high school students, and (3) to assess the needs of moral intelligence for junior high school students. By the mixed-method research, the sample group used in the research was 11 key informants for in-depth interviews, 100 students in mixed classes of 20 schools, 1,997 students in total. The results show the following:1. The moral intelligence indicators for junior high school students consisted of 6 indicators: Equality, Empathy, Morality, Tolerance, Self-control, and Kindness.2. To create moral intelligence scales for junior high school students, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for each section were.939,0.920 and.841, respectively. With corroborative component analysis classified by the overall composition, it was found that the mean was at a high level (M = 3.955), with a low distribution with a standard deviation (SD) of 0.576 and a distribution coefficient (C.V.) of 14.566.3. For needs assessment of moral intelligence for junior high school students, it was found that the third component of morality had the most needs (PNImodified=0.095), followed by the 5th component of self-control (PNImodified=0.081), the second component of empathy (PNImodified=0.075), the 4th component of tolerance (PNImodified=0.073), the 6th component of kindness (PNImodified=0.055) and the first component of equality (PNImodified=0.053).

Meat and morality: The moral foundation of purity, but not harm, predicts attitudes toward cultured meat

Cultured meat (also referred to as cultivated, cell-based, or cell-cultured meat) is a novel food technology that is presented as a method of meat production without reliance on large-scale industrial farming. The pro-cultured meat narrative rests, in part, on a moral foundation: cultured meat is purported to alleviate the environmental and animal welfare harms associated with farmed meat. Despite this narrative, no research has examined which moral values underpin attitudes towards cultured meat. To examine this, we surveyed 1861 participants from the United States and Germany about their moral foundations and their attitudes towards cultured meat. In line with predictions, people who more strongly endorse moral values about purity (i.e., had higher scores on the purity subscale of the moral foundations scale) held more negative attitudes towards cultured meat. However, this relationship was much more consistent among participants from the United States than participants from Germany. Against predictions, attitudes towards cultured meat were not reliably associated with the extent to which people focus on harm as a moral foundation. The latter finding was particularly surprising in light of harm-reduction narratives around cultured meat. These findings demonstrate the need for a more nuanced discussion about, and understanding of, consumer concerns around cultured meat and the values that underpin them.

Impact of Moral Elevation on College Students' Sense of Meaning of Life: The Mediating Roles of Gratitude and Perceived Social Support.

The current study examined the association between moral elevation and college students' sense of meaning of life, along with the potential mediating effects of gratitude and perceived social support on this relationship. Using the convenience sampling method, the Moral Elevation Scale, the Sense of Meaning of Life Questionnaire, the Gratitude Questionnaire, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support were used to conduct questionnaire surveys on 1088 college students (Mage=19.59 years, SD=1.46). SPSS25.0 data statistics software was used to analyze the data, and the PROCESS macro for SPSS was used to conduct the mediation effect test. (1) Moral elevation was significantly and positively associated with college students' sense of meaning of life (β = 0.43,p < 0.001). (2) Both gratitude and perceived social support partially mediated the relation between moral elevation and sense of meaning of life. The indirect effect of moral elevation on sense of meaning of life via gratitude was 0.11 (95% CI = [0.0709, 0.1453]), and the mediating effect accounted for 52.71%. The indirect effect of moral elevation on sense of meaning of life via perceived social support was 0.06 (95% CI = [0.0385, 0.0863]), and the mediating effect accounted for 29.41%. (3) Gratitude and perceived social support sequentially mediated the association between moral elevation and sense of meaning of life, the indirect effect through gratitude and perceived social support was 0.04 (95% CI = [0.0237, 0.0512]) and accounted for 17.88%. This study revealed the chain mediating roles of gratitude and perceived social support in the relation between moral elevation and sense of meaning of life for Chinese college students, which is of great theoretical and practical significance for the formation of a positive sense of meaning of life and the cultivation of moral elevation among college students.

Cumulative ecological risk and cyberbullying among college students: a chain mediation model.

Cyberbullying among college students has been receiving increased research attention. Previous studies have focused primarily on the impact of a single risk factor on cyberbullying among college students. However, individual behavior is influenced by multiple ecosystems simultaneously, including family, school, and peers. To explore the effects of a single risk factor alone is not in line with the reality of everyday life, and the effect of the single risk factor can often be overestimated. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the impact of multiple risk factors, namely cumulative ecological risk, on cyberbullying, while analyzing the mediating roles of belief in a just world and moral disengagement. A survey was conducted among 805 college students from two universities in Hebei Province, China, using the cumulative ecological risk questionnaire, the cyberbullying scale, the belief in a just world scale, and the moral disengagement scale. The results showed that: (a) Cumulative ecological risk was positively correlated with moral disengagement and cyberbullying, and negatively correlated with belief in a just world. Belief in a just world was negatively correlated with moral disengagement and cyberbullying. Moral disengagement was positively correlated with cyberbullying; (b) Belief in a just world partially mediated the relationship between cumulative ecological risk and cyberbullying; (c) Moral disengagement partially mediated the relationship between cumulative ecological risk and cyberbullying; (d) Belief in a just world and moral disengagement played a chain mediating role between cumulative ecological risk and college students' cyberbullying. This study provides valuable insight for the reduction of cyberbullying behavior among college students, and offers suggestions on how to create a more favorable online environment.

Designing and psychometric assessment of the moral intelligence scale for healthcare professionals

The moral intelligence of healthcare professionals in the cardiac operating room is one of the most important aspects of professional competence. However, moral intelligence is an abstract and multidimensional concept that needs to be clarified and described based on organizational culture and environment. Therefore, there is a need to design a specific scale for measuring the moral intelligence of healthcare professionals in the cardiac operating room. This study aims to design and assess the psychometric properties of a moral intelligence scale for healthcare professionals in the cardiac operating room. The present study was a mixed method study with a sequential exploratory approach. The research was conducted in 2023–2024 in Iran. The first phase data were collected from 20 healthcare professionals and were analyzed by conventional content analysis method. In the second phase, the validity and reliability of the instrument were evaluated by involving 300 healthcare professionals in the cardiac operating room. The moral intelligence of health care professionals in the cardiac operating room was defined as moral sensitivity combined with moral commitment and moral courage for the provision of quality care that respects the principles of medical ethics. After deducing the conceptual framework, the moral intelligence scale for healthcare professionals in the cardiac operating room was developed with three dimensions: “moral sensitivity,” “moral commitment,” and “moral courage.” 11 items were removed during testing to ensure content validity. Face validity was confirmed with impact scores > 1.5 for all items. A scale was developed through factor analysis with three factors that accounted for 73.04% of the observed variance. The instrument’s reliability using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient calculation was reported as 0.94 for the entire instrument. The testretest showed no statistically significant difference between the pre and post-test scores of moral intelligence (p = 0.51). The moral intelligence scale demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties. The moral intelligence scale for health care professionals in the cardiac operating room demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties. This instrument may serve to assess the moral intelligence of healthcare professionals and determine the need for educational interventions to reduce the ethical challenges and improve the moral intelligence of this healthcare.

The prevalence and risk factors of conduct disorder among juvenile delinquents in China

Conduct disorders (CDs) are common in juvenile justice cases, but their prevalence varies across regions. It is useful to help people comprehend the incidence and risk factors for CDs in the judicial environment. To determine the prevalence of CDs among juvenile delinquents in China and explore the risk factors for CDs in terms of demographic characteristics, individual characteristics, and social environmental factors. A total of 545 male juvenile delinquents and 297 typically developed adolescents from China were recruited for this study. The Conduct Disorder Screening Form was used to assess the symptoms of CD, and related measurements, including the Demographic Questionnaire, Short-Egna Minnen av Barndoms Uppfostran for Chinese (s-EMBU-C), the Short Form of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF), the Parental Monitoring Scale, the Deviant Peer Affiliation Scale, the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU), the Self-Control Scale (SCS), and the Moral Disengagement Scale (MDS), were carried out. Among the juvenile delinquents, 58.7% met the symptoms of CD, with adolescent-onset CD accounting for 90.94% of these cases. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of CD between the criminal group and the illegal group, but the criminal group scored higher on aggression than the illegal group. The adolescents with CDs differed from the typically developed adolescents in demographic characteristics, parenting style, individual characteristics, and deviant peer affiliation. Discriminant analysis revealed that deviant peer affiliation had the greatest impact on the CDs of adolescents (structural matrix = 0.85), followed by the level of parental monitoring and moral disengagement. CD is widespread in Chinese juvenile delinquents. CD symptoms differ between criminal and illegal juvenile delinquents. Risk factors such as deviant peer affiliation, inadequate parental monitoring, moral disengagement, and low parental warmth all contribute to the high prevalence of CD.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Factorial Invariance of the Mechanisms of the Moral Disengagement Scale

The objective of this paper was to analyze the factorial structure, psychometric characteristics, and factorial invariance by sex, age, and city of the Mechanisms of Moral Disengagement Scale in young university students. A total of 1,431 young people between the ages of 18 and 30 (M = 20.86, SD = 3.64) from two Colombian cities participated in the study. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test four hypothesized models. The CFA confirmed a first-order factor structure grouping the eight mechanisms of moral disengagement (Model 4), which explained 54.17% of the total variance. The final model obtained a good fit, χ2 = 12.514, RMSEA = .010, TLI = .999, AGFI = .993, CFI = 1.00, ECVI = .044, CMIN/df = 1.138. Factorial invariance by sex, age and city of the final proposed model was confirmed. Moral disengagement mechanisms were negatively correlated with empathy and prosocial tendencies. It is concluded that this scale is valid and reliable to assess moral disengagement in Colombian youth.

The reality of the moral climate and its relationship to the decision-making of boxing referees from the standpoint of coaches

The purpose of this paper is to identifying the relationship between the moral climate and the decision-making of boxing referees from the standpoint of the coaches, and the research problem lies through the work of the researchers in training and managing the teams. It was noted that the role of the referees is one of the most important roles played by the workers to achieve the objectives of the federation, and that the moral climate that prevails among the administrative body the union and the referees on the one hand and between the referees and coaches on the other hand are among the factors of the success of everyone’s work and the survival and strengthening of confidence in their work and thus the continuity of success and production and the achievement of goals, hence the desire to conduct this study, and the researchers used the descriptive approach in the manner of correlations to suit it with the nature of the research problem, The study population consisted of (160) coaches and referees in the Boxing Federation. As for the research sample, it was divided into a sample of adapting the moral climate scale, which consisted of (70) judges. As for the building sample for the decision-making scale, it consisted of (90) coaches. The standards (moral climate) were modified and built. for the administrative body, decision-making for the referees), the measures were applied to the research sample in order to extract the results of the research and achieve the goal of the research, which is to identify the relationship between the moral climate and decision-making for boxing referees from the point of view of the coaches and it was found that they are at an above average level in the moral climate and decision-making as well That there is a direct relationship between the two research variables (moral climate and decision-making), that is, the greater the moral climate, the greater the decision-making.

Moral distress from professionalism dilemmas and its association with self-rated professionalism behaviors among Chinese residents

Objectives Residents inevitably witness or participate in a diverse range of professionalism dilemmas. However, few studies have focused on residents’ moral distress from professionalism dilemmas and its relationship with residents’ professionalism. This study aimed to understand the moral distress that Chinese residents may face after exposure to professionalism dilemmas and to examine the associations between moral distress and residents’ perceived fulfillment of professionalism behaviors. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey of residents from four standardized residency training bases in Liaoning Province, China, using stratified cluster sampling. A checklist of professionalism dilemmas, the Moral Distress Scale, and the Behavior-based Medical Professionalism Inventory were used to assess residents’ moral distress from professionalism dilemmas and their perceived fulfillment of professionalism behaviors. Descriptive statistics, non-parametric tests, multiple linear regressions, and binary logistic regressions were used to analyze the data. Results A total of 647 (81.1%) residents effectively completed the survey. The proportion of residents suffering from moral distress ranged from 58.4 to 90.6% for different professionalism dilemmas. As the number of professionalism dilemmas associated with moral distress increased, residents reported lower fulfillment of professionalism behaviors (β < 0, p < 0.05). Compared with residents with no distress, residents suffering from distress reported lower fulfillment of professionalism behaviors (OR < 1, p < 0.05). Among residents suffering from distress, as the distress intensity increased, residents reported higher fulfillment of professionalism behaviors (OR > 1, p < 0.05). Conclusions Residents suffered a wide range of moral distress from professionalism dilemmas, and residents with moral distress reported lower fulfillment of professional behaviors. A responsive reporting system for residents and reflection on role modeling may help residents cope with the negative effects of moral distress and professionalism dilemmas.

Ethical climate, moral resilience, and ethical competence of head nurses.

The ethical competence of head nurses plays a pivotal role in nursing ethics. Ethical climate is a prerequisite for ethical competence, and moral resilience can positively influence an individual's ethical competence. However, few studies have focused on the relationship between ethical climate, moral resilience, and ethical competence among them. To investigate the relationship between ethical climate, moral resilience, and ethical competence, and examine the mediating role of moral resilience between ethical climate and ethical competence among head nurses. A quantitative, cross-sectional study. A total of 309 Chinese head nurses completed an online survey, including ethical climate questionnaire, Rushton moral resilience scale, and ethical competence questionnaire. Inferential statistical analysis includes Pearson's correlation and a structural equation model. This study received ethical approval from the Institutional Review Board of Xiangya Nursing School of Central South University (No. E2023146). Head nurses' ethical climate score positively impacted ethical competence (r = 0.208, p < .001), and ethical climate could affect ethical competence through the mediating role of moral resilience. This study emphasized the value of ethical climate in moral resilience of head nurses, ultimately leading to an enhancement in their ethical competence.

A Psychometric Analysis of the Moral Disengagement Scale (MDS) in Association to Bullying Roles in Colombian Youth

AbstractThe Moral Disengagement Scale (MDS) is a widely employed tool for assessing moral neutralization strategies in the context of bullying. However, studies conducted globally exhibit inconsistencies in both the factor structure and the number of items comprising the MDS. This study was conducted to assess the reliability and factor structure of the MDS within a sample of Colombian adolescents (N = 375; M age = 13.3; SD = 1.69) and to compare the use of MD mechanisms across victims, perpetrators, non-involved students, and bystanders of school bullying. To begin, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) compared the fit indices of theoretical models proposed in the existing literature. The results revealed that all previously suggested models exhibited similar fit indices, indicating that these structures could be equally applicable for evaluating various dimensions of moral disengagement among adolescent populations. In order to identify the most suitable model for our culturally specific sample, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) pointed towards a more concise 13-item version of the MDS as the optimal solution. Individuals meeting the scores for “bullies” employed more MD mechanisms compared to victims and non-involved students. There were no significant differences in MDS scores between pro-victim bystanders and those remaining passive or supporting aggressors. In light of these findings, targeting cognitive mechanisms that neutralize moral self-sanctions in perpetrators and potential bystanders of bullying may prove to be a valuable strategy in enhancing the effectiveness of anti-bullying interventions.

Measuring civilian moral injury: Adaptation and validation of the Moral Injury Events Scale (Civilian) and Expressions of Moral Injury Scale (Civilian).

Moral injury (MI) research has been expanded to populations beyond the military in recent years. A key barrier to further research into MI in civilian populations is the lack of valid, reliable measures of the construct appropriate for general civilian use. This article addresses this barrier by adapting two existing military measures and exploring their psychometrics in a general civilian sample: the Moral Injury Events Scale-Civilian (MIES-C) and Expressions of Moral Injury Scale-Military (EMIS-C). A sample of civilian women (n = 192) and men (n = 88) completed the above measures, and additional scales designed to capture theoretically supported primary and secondary markers of MI (guilt, shame, anger; depression, posttraumatic stress symptoms, anxiety). Confirmatory factor analyses found that the factor structure of the MIES-C and EMIS-C replicated well within our civilian sample. Discriminant validity was indicated through a significant negative correlation with well-being. Both measures correlated as predicted with each other and measures of MI markers at the total score level. Correlations of individual subscales with each of these measures were more varied. Results shed light on differential relationships between the type of MI event and clinical outcomes, suggesting some conceptual differences in how MI is experienced in general civilian populations. Results suggest that civilian populations are also susceptible to MI, but that existing measures may have problems capturing this effectively. While the MIES-C and EMIS-C are supported for civilian use, further scale construction efforts for this population are warranted. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The Moral Injury and Distress Scale: Psychometric evaluation and initial validation in three high-risk populations.

The concept of moral injury resonates with impacted populations, but research has been limited by existing measures, which have primarily focused on war veterans and asked about exposure to potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs) rather than PMIE exposure outcomes. Our goal was to develop and examine the psychometric properties of the Moral Injury and Distress Scale (MIDS), a new measure of the possible emotional, cognitive, behavioral, social, and/or spiritual sequelae of PMIE exposure. The MIDS was validated by surveying three groups: military veterans, healthcare workers, and first responders (N = 1,232). Most respondents (75.0%; n = 924) reported PMIE exposure. Analyses yielded 18 items that contributed to a single latent factor representing moral distress with fully or partially invariant configurations, loadings, and intercepts across occupational groups. The MIDS full-scale score demonstrated excellent internal consistency (α = .95) and moderate 2-week stability (r = .68, p < .001, n = 155). For convergent validity, associations between the MIDS and PMIE exposure measures, as well as putative indicators of moral injury (e.g., guilt, shame), were positive and large (r = .59-.69, p < .001), as were correlations with posttraumatic stress, depressive, and insomnia symptoms (r = .51-.67, p < .001). The MIDS was a stronger predictor of functioning than PMIE exposure measures, explaining seven times greater unique variance (9% vs. 1%-1.3%). The MIDS is the first scale to assess moral injury symptoms indexed to a specific PMIE that is validated across several high-risk populations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Greek primary school students’ moral judgments and motives about sustainable food consumption

Modern dietary habits pose large threats to the global vision for a sustainable food system transition, intensifying discussions around the urgency for educational initiatives that can promote more sustainable food consumption practices. However, research has not sufficiently studied food consumers' moral background, despite its strong influence on food choices, while relevant research on school-aged consumers is even scarcer. This study focuses on two individual ethical decision-making processes regarding food sustainability: moral judgments and moral motives. Data was selected using non-probability, opportunity sampling from 587 students attending the last two grades of primary school in the Region of Western Macedonia, Greece. Participants completed a Likert-scale questionnaire, which adopted a holistic approach towards food sustainability, incorporating the following 12 variables associated with all three domains of sustainability (environmental, societal, economic): Biodiversity, Carbon footprint, Soil, water and air conservation, (Food) loss and waste, Water footprint, Nutrition and health, Animal welfare, Workers' rights and safety, Cultural traditions, Food supply, Tax revenues and Profits, Jobs/incomes. In the moral motives scale, additional variables associated with non-moral considerations were also assessed: Sensory Appeal, Mood, Promotion, Social influence, Convenience and Familiarity. For the moral judgments scale, findings revealed low to medium scores for all the domains and among the variables associated with a sustainable food system, the lowest mean scores being recorded in those linked to the social dimension of sustainability. Regarding food consumption motives, results indicate that non-moral considerations prevail remarkably over moral ones and are linked to all three domains of sustainability. Statistical testing identified grade level, gender, place of residence and participation in environmental, health or food education school programs as factors influencing certain aspects of students’ moral thinking at a statistically significant level. Insights gained from this study can contribute to educational and other agendas aiming to promote sustainable food consumption.