Purpose, a long-term commitment to goals that are meaningful to the self and contribute beyond the self, is associated with academic and vocational success, resilience, and psychological and physical well-being throughout life. Supporting college students' purpose development requires understanding that purpose is a driving life commitment not…

What follows is an interview with William Damon and Anne Colby, pioneers in the fields of moral psychology and education. Throughout their careers, they have studied, moral identity, moral ideals, positive youth development, purpose, good work, vocation, character development in higher education, and professional responsibility. In their words,…

A paucity of literature exists on the processes of character development within diverse contexts. In this article, the authors use the United States Military Academy at West Point (USMA) as a sample case for understanding character development processes within an institution of higher education. The authors present a discussion of relational…

This chapter uses moral psychology to illustrate why exemplar methods are essential for building a valid, complete understanding of key domains of human development. Social psychological, economic, and biological-evolutionary paradigms for studying morality rely on samples drawn from the general population. This research reveals a bleak picture of…

Findings of this 20-year longitudinal study support Kohlberg's theoretical predictions of invariant structural consistency of subjects' responses to hypothetical moral dilemmas. Subjects were 58 American males chosen in 1955 according to age, social class and sociometric status. They were 10, 13, or 16 years of age at Time 1. Half of each age…

This book provides concrete advice on how campuses can meet the challenges of educating thoughtful, committed, and socially responsible college graduates. The chapters are: (1) "Educating Citizens in a Pluralistic Society"; (2) "The Broader Undergraduate Context"; (3) "When Educating Citizens Is a Priority"; (4) "The Multiple Dimensions of Moral…

This document describes the use of the case study method of behavioral science research in an investigation of exceptional moral commitment. The aim of the study was to learn more about the nature, development, and expression of this kind of exceptional commitment. The paper discusses why this particular research method was chosen as the most…

A 20-year study to monitor moral developmental stages is summarized with a focus on the invariant sequence and internal consistency of each stage. It is theorized that an individual passes through several stages in attaining moral judgment. As children grow older, they are able to integrate diverse points of view on a moral conflict. Each stage…

Describes an experiment in classroom moral education by high school social studies teachers and reports its results. (Author)

Representing an attempt to document the basic assumptions of Kohlberg's cognitive-developmental theory of moral judgment, a 20-year longitudinal study was conducted. Assessed was the moral judgment development of 58 boys ages 10, 13, and 16 when the study began. At each of six testing times, subjects were individually interviewed on their…

A 20-year study to verify Lawrence Kohlberg's theory of moral development through a new research design, the Standard Issue Scoring System, is reported. Kohlberg theorizes that an individual progresses through several stages in attaining moral judgment. As children grow older, they are able to integrate diverse points of view on a moral conflict.…

Argues that most school-based moral education programs focus exclusively on moral reflection and neglect the influence of moral habit, effect, and commitment. Advocates schools joining with families, churches, community organizations, and other institutions to provide a clear and coherent set of expectations for young people. (MJP)