Moral Identity and Moral Cognition in the Civic Domain

• In Event: The Development of Moral Concepts of Justice and Civic Obligation

Abstract

The current research sought to examine the link between moral identity and moral reasoning. Participants were asked to evaluate different the value of methods of civic activity, such as voting or volunteering, and to justify their responses, which were then coded. Measures of moral identity were then correlated with the justifications to assess whether moral reasoning was associated with moral identity. Results indicated that higher levels of moral identity were associated with higher levels of moral reasoning. Results and implications for these findings will be discussed.

Authors

• Justin McNeil, University of Toronto

• Charles C. Helwig, University of Toronto