Psychology
The moral reasoning of U.S. evangelical and mainline Protestant children, adolescents, and adults: A cultural-developmental study
Document Type
Article
Abstract
This cultural-developmental interview study examined moral reasoning in relation to religious culture (evangelical, mainline Protestants), age (children, adolescents, adults), and moral issue (public, private; N = 120). Compared to adolescents and adults, children used more Ethic of Autonomy and less Ethic of Community reasoning. With age, differences between religious cultures became pronounced. Mainline adults invoked an Ethic of Divinity for private issues. Evangelical adolescents and adults used this ethic frequently, but more for public than private issues. These and other findings indicate that evangelical and mainline Protestants diverge on what should be society's moral lingua franca, and cast new and nuanced light on America's "culture wars." Results furthermore highlight comodulation of development and culture that requires life course research on moral reasoning.
Publication Title
Child Development
Publication Date
2016
Volume
87
Issue
2
First Page
446
Last Page
464
ISSN
0009-3920
DOI
10.1111/cdev.12465
Repository Citation
Jensen, Lene Arnett and Mckenzie, Jessica, "The moral reasoning of U.S. evangelical and mainline Protestant children, adolescents, and adults: A cultural-developmental study" (2016). Psychology. 825.
https://commons.clarku.edu/faculty_psychology/825
