Moral Reasoning and Personality Components in Gifted and Average Students

Abstract

101 students, gifted and of average ability in Grades 5, 8, and 10, completed the Defining Issues Test and the Offer Self-image Questionnaire. Significant differences occurred between groups of gifted and average ability on the Defining Issues Test, between the average and gifted girls, and between the boys and girls on Offer's Social Relationships subscale. A regression analysis indicated that the Social Relationships subscale and being gifted were predictors of Rest's p index.

Do Contributors to Intellect Explain the Moral Judgment Abilities of Gifted Youth?

“…This is further supported in Table 2 which provides a breakdown of the participants in each sample in terms of DIT Type scores. These findings confirm previous studies of advanced moral judgment development of high-ability or conservatively defined gifted youth (Chovan & Freeman, 1993;Derryberry et al, 2005;Foulkes, 2000;HowardHamilton, 1994;Narvaez, 1993;Tirri & Pehkonen, 2002). An interesting aspect of these findings is that these moral judgment differences exist even though ACT score differences were not significant, refuting those who contend that moral judgment development and intellect are reducible to each other (Sanders et al, 1995) and affirming assertions that such constructs are independent (Derryberry et al, , 2007Narvaez, 1993;Tirri & Pehkonen, 2002;Thoma et al, 1999;Thoma et al, 2000).…”

“…Here, moral judgments are defined by identified universal moral principles of justice and fairness as a result of objective reflection, deliberative inquiry, reasoning, and problem solving. Gifted youth, conservatively defined, have consistently shown strengths in their moral judgment development relative to their peers (Chovan & Freeman, 1993;Foulkes, 2000;Howard-Hamilton, 1994;Narvaez, 1993;Tirri & Pehkonen, 2002). There is some support that the moral judgment development of such populations of gifted youth can even exceed those who are more advanced in age and education (Derryberry, Wilson, Snyder, Norman, & Barger, 2005).…”

Individual Differences in Moral Development: Does Intelligence Really Affect Children’s Moral Reasoning and Moral Emotions?

“…Likewise, Kohlberg (1964) and Gross (1993) found that highly gifted children had very advanced abilities in conceptualizing moral issues and provided moral reasoning on levels which are usually prevalent only in very few adults. Finally, Chovan and Freeman (1993) could show that the gifted children in their study achieved higher levels of moral reasoning than their peers of average ability. Regardless, more research with younger children is needed to examine the role of intelligence in periods which are crucial for moral development.…”

Individual Personality Factors That Affect Normative Beliefs About the Rightness of Corporate Social Responsibility

“…Such persons seem capable of thinking for themselves and, unlike social traditionalists, seem disinclined to obey authority unquestioningly (e.g., Lapsley, Harwell, Olson, Flannery, & Quintana, 1984;Thoma, Rest, & Davison, 1991). Also unlike social traditionalists, advanced moral reasoners seem characterized by tolerance, empathy, social sensitivity, and concern for others (e.g., Breslin, 1982;Chovan & Freeman, 1993;Redford, McPherson, Frankiewicz, & Gaa, 1995) and regard societal welfare as an important consideration when making decisions (White, 1997). Advanced moral reasoning also seems linked, albeit weakly, with beliefs that business firms have both societal and ethical responsibilities (Goolsby & Hunt, 1992;Strong & Meyer, 1992).…”