ERIC Number: EJ1391353
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1740-5629
EISSN: EISSN-1740-5610
Is Moral Judgement Maturity Merely the Opposite of Self-Serving Cognitive Distortions or Moral Disengagement?
Brugman, Daniel; Gibbs, John C.
European Journal of Developmental Psychology, v20 n4 p709-729 2023
Are moral judgement maturity and self-serving cognitive distortions or moral disengagement merely opposites, as recently claimed? Self-serving cognitive distortions and moral disengagement constitute (more or less interchangeable) neutralization techniques; they stem from the same theoretical background and refer to the same cognitive processes. In contrast, a distinct theoretical background provides the context for moral judgement. To examine the empirical relationships between the constructs, a systematic search was conducted, encompassing 17 studies from 8 countries. Moral judgement and self-serving cognitive distortions or moral disengagement related inversely only moderately in studies of offenders (externalizing behavioural disorders) and non-offenders. Moreover, self-serving cognitive distortions and moral disengagement correlated much more strongly with externalizing behavioural disorders than did moral judgement. Also differing were relationships with demographic and other variables such as empathy. We conclude that both moral judgement and self-serving cognitive distortions or moral disengagement should be assessed and utilized in studies and intervention programmes addressing externalizing behaviour.
Descriptors: Decision Making, Moral Values, Maturity Tests, Cognitive Processes, Behavior Disorders, Antisocial Behavior, Empathy, Thinking Skills, Children, Adolescents, Adults, Institutionalized Persons, Correctional Institutions
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Information Analyses; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A