Resisting Moral Disengagement in Support for War: Use of the "Peace Test" Scale Among Student Groups in 21 Nations

Abstract

Through the cognitive process of moral disengagement, people make excuses for inflicting suffering on others while maintaining a clear conscience. The "Peace Test" scale to measure moral disengagement in support for war was tested in surveys of medical, university, and secondary school students in 21 nations. The scale showed acceptable reliability and was a valid predictor of opinions about specific military threats. Although the survey sites were not representative of nations, mean scale scores among high school students were related to national levels of defense spending. Moral disengagement is a valid tool for peace psychologists because it can help evaluate education efforts to increase support for peace.