Moral judgement and human values

This study investigated relations between principled moral judgement as assessed by Rest's Defining Issues Test, the importance for self of the terminal and instrumental values from the Rokeach Value Survey, and general conservatism as measured by the Conservatism Scale. The study involved 133 male and female students in year 11 courses in four Adelaide high schools. The results showed that principled moral judgement (Stages 5 and 6) was positively linked to the importance assigned by subjects to inner harmony, being broadminded and being logical, and negatively related to the importance they assigned to being clean and obedient. Stage 4 moral judgement and general conservatism assessed by the Wilson and Patterson Conservatism Scale were positively related and both were related to a similar (but not identical) subset of values. Results were discussed in relation to theory and research in the areas of moral judgement and human values. 1988 The British Psychological Society