7/23/2019 Moral Judgment

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Background

Adolescence as a developmental transition involving substantial personality changes is associated with

discovering a certain form of one's own life. Existential awakening in adolescents influences their way

of coping with moral issues. They oscillate between children's morality, reflecting clear external rules

given by authorities, and adult morality based on internalied ethical principles.!urpose

The presented study discusses moral development in adolescents with regard to selected personality

and existential correlates. "t, first, empirically explores the relationship between personality traits

defined by the five#factor personality model $neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness,

conscientiousness, openness to experience% and moral development, and, second, explores the

relationship between life meaningfulness $cognitive, motivational, affective dimension% and moral

development.

&ethod

The survey targeted two kinds of respondents participants in middle adolescence $( ) *+, mean age

+.-% and participants in late adolescence $( ) *+, mean age *./0%.

&oral development was assessed using the &oral 1udgment Test $&1T2 3ind, 445%, personality

variables were monitored by the (E6 7ive#7actor "nventory $(E6#77"2 8osta, &c8rae, **% and

existential correlates through the 3ife &eaningfulness 9cale $3&92 :alama 44%.

;esults

8orrelation analysis showed personality variables $extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness,

conscientiousness% to be the most important positive determinants of moral development in

adolescents. 6lder adolescents displayed the strongest connection between moral development and life

meaningfulness.

8onclusion

The findings prove the determination of moral development in adolescents by personality and

existential variables.