ERIC Number: EJ1020848
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1744-9642
EISSN: N/A
The Independence of James Rest's Components of Morality: Evidence from a Professional Ethics Curriculum Study
You, Di; Bebeau, Muriel J.
Ethics and Education, v8 n3 p202-216 2013
Rest's hypothesis that the components of morality (i.e., sensitivity, reasoning, motivation, and implementation) are distinct from one another was tested using evidence from a dental ethics curriculum that uses well-validated measures of each component. Archival data from five cohorts ("n" = 385) included the following: (1) transcribed responses to a measure of ethical sensitivity collected at the end of the third year; (2) pre- and post-test moral judgment scores; (3) pre-and post-test motivation scores; and (4) implementation scores -- performance on eight cases completed during the third and fourth years. Because the ethical sensitivity test had been scored by multiple raters, and interrater reliability did not meet acceptable standards, 120 portfolios were randomly selected from the five cohorts and responses were rescored prior to analysis. Correlations among the measures were low, ranging from -- 0.08 to 0.34, supporting Rest's contention that the processes are distinct from one another and competence in one does not predict competence in another. The findings have implications for moral and character education programs.
Descriptors: Ethics, Dentistry, College Curriculum, Ethical Instruction, Models, Moral Values, Decision Making, Motivation, Pretests Posttests, Graduate Students, Correlation, Measures (Individuals), Scores
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Defining Issues Test
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A