The Exemplar Method in Character Research and Education

• In Event: The Past, Present, and Future of Character Education

Abstract

This paper discusses the use of the exemplar method, which studies people who have already demonstrated moral commitment over decades of their lives (Bronk, 2012a). The exemplar method in character research examines psychological processes that lead to consistent moral conduct and that help sustain it through all the temptations and difficulties that often discourage people from staying true to their moral convictions. The exemplar method in character education uses cases of exemplary moral action, drawn from history, literature, or living members of the community, to demonstrate to students the ways in which moral goals can be achieved in human life.

In this paper, the author presents a summary of results from four character research programs in which he and colleagues have used the exemplar method: 1) a study of 23 living American moral exemplars (Colby & Damon, 1992); 2) a study of 11 adolescent youth purpose exemplars (Damon, 2008); 3) a study of 9 youth civic purpose exemplars (Bronk, 2012b); and 4) a study of 7 historical exemplars of moral leadership during the 20th Century (Damon & Colby, in press). Findings from these studies indicate the importance of building a moral identity that reflects civic commitment, pro-social values, cultivated virtues, aspirations to accomplish noble purposes, and a dedication to causes beyond the self. The exemplar method has limitations, since it can only be used with small, (intentionally) unrepresentative samples; and it relies on retrospective accounts of emotion-laden events that have already occurred, which can be biased by memory lapses of various kinds. But in conjunction with other scientific methods such as large-group surveys, interviews, and well-designed experiments, the exemplar method offers a necessary window onto moral behavior at its most fully developed.

For character education, each type of moral exemplar - historical, literary, and living adult or youth - has a particular use, depending on the population of students to be reached and the instructional aims of the curriculum in which the character discussion is to be embedded. This paper will present a variety of ways in which historical, literary, and living adult or youth exemplars may be used in high-school courses to promote the aims of a character education program, drawing on results from a pilot program focusing on education for purpose among secondary school students.

Author

• William Damon, Stanford University