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Meaning, Measurement, and Correlates of Moral Development

Change in values and moral reasoning during higher education

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Pages 269-284 | Received 03 Aug 2012, Published online: 10 Jan 2013
 

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine whether personal value priorities, measured by Schwartz et al.'s method, change during higher education, whether moral reasoning measured by the DIT develops and whether values predict gain in moral development. Moreover, we explored the simultaneous changes in value priorities and moral reasoning. Our sample consisted of 132 students from a university of applied sciences who filled out the value measure and the DIT both at the beginning and at the end of their studies. The results revealed that universalism and security values became more important whereas achievement decreased in importance during the three-year period. We also found significant gain in moral development and that universalism and hedonism values predicted this gain significantly. Significant correlated change was found between moral reasoning and stimulation, conformity and security values. The meaning of the results is discussed in terms of the theories of Schwartz and Kohlberg.

Notes

This research was supported by the grant no 111 7363 of the Academy of Finland. We thank Klaus Helkama and the two anonymous reviewers for valuable comments.

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