How do different forms of education contribute to value preferences? Clearly, informal education through personal experiences that shape one's sense of identity and frame cultural expectations and opportunities (as indexed by culture, gender and age-cohort), non-formal education through religious traditions and formal state-mandated education all…

Chief Academic Officers (CAO) are leaders in institutions of higher education and have wide decision-making scope. Previous research has clearly demonstrated the need for leaders to engage in ethical decision-making. Moral judgments are an aspect of ethical decision-making, so it is important for CAOs to make moral judgments. This study examined…

Aristotle considered moral beauty to be the "telos" of the human virtues. Displays of moral beauty have been shown to elicit the moral emotion of elevation and cause a desire to become a better person and to engage in prosocial behavior. Study 1 ("N" = 5380) shows engagement with moral beauty is related to several psychological…

This study reports the findings of a study assessing the acceptability differences in decisions made by Certified Public Accounting practitioners (CPA) and students studying to become CPAs. The study responds to researchers' call for additional research on topics related to accounting decision ethics. Modified managerial and accounting recognition…

The purpose of this study was to determine if students' values were different depending on which type of school they attended, and whether these values changed across the school year. Students of three different types of schools (private, state, religious) were measured at the beginning and the end of a school year, using the Schwartz Portrait…

This study examined relations between parenting dimensions (involvement, autonomy support and structure) and adolescents' moral values internalisation. A sample of 101 adolescents (71% female; 76% white; M age = 16.10, SD = 1.17) reported on the parenting behaviour of one of their parents and on their own moral values. Four forms of values…

The Flynn effect probably has multiple causes, and the target essays in this issue have expanded the number of possible causes behind it. This essay deals primarily with a different question: How important is IQ in the current world and should it perhaps be understood also in conjunction with a consideration of some kind of ethical intelligence?

Examined adolescents' moral values in a fable writing class in 6th grade, 10th grade, and first year of college. Core values identified in the written fables related significantly to grade level but not gender. As adolescents mature, their values shift. Writing fables is well suited for studying and teaching moral values in character-education…

Issues of morality and children are examined. Information on moral judgment research with children is discussed with implications for educational interventions. Research suggesting that characteristics of moral dilemmas and solutions are related to sex and grade is presented. Areas to be pursued in research and practical application are…

Reports on a study of the influence of age and formal education on the development of moral reasoning among 215 Spanish citizens ranging in age from 12 to 48. Finds that moral development is highly related to both variables, although more so with formal education than with age. Includes five tables of illustrative data. (CFR)

Investigates the personality traits that people believe to characterize moral exemplars and to compare that trait description with those for related types of exemplars. Reveals differences in personality attributions across types of exemplars and indicates that traits reflecting the Conscientiousness and Agreeableness factors were salient for the…

Researchers analyzed the responses of second-, fourth-, and sixth-grade students who read three fables, and traced the relationship between grade level and stage of moral development. The children reflected different stages of moral development. The use of fables to elicit responses to moral questions is discussed. (PP)

Two studies attempted to determine: (1) at what age children understand and apply the principle of equity; and (2) whether theory based instruction is effective in helping young children understand the principle of equity. Further, do children exposed to such instruction perform better on a behavioral test than children not exposed to such…

Summarizes conclusions from research on sex and age differences in moral reasoning. Finds men focused on rights and women on responsiblity, and older adults better able to articulate their moral positions though no longer engaged in moral growth. Suggests changes in the content and pedagogy of moral education. (DMM)