Internalization of moral values

Abstract

The Internalization of Moral Values scale, developed by Sam A. Hardy, Laura M. Padilla-Walker, and Gustavo Carlo in 2008, is a self-report instrument designed to assess the quality of motivation underlying moral internalization of values in adolescents. Drawing heavily on principles from Self-Determination Theory (SDT), the scale measures the extent to which moral behaviors (such as honesty, fairness, and kindness) are driven by external pressures versus being genuinely integrated into the individual’s sense of self. The instrument presents scenarios related to common moral dilemmas and asks participants to rate the importance of various reasons for engaging in moral action, thereby distinguishing between external, introjected, identified, and integrated forms of moral regulation.

Keywords

Moral development, internalization of moral values, Moral regulation, Self-Determination Theory (SDT), Motivation, adolescents, Ethics, Moral reasoning.

Authors

Sam A. Hardy, Laura M. Padilla-Walker, Gustavo Carlo

Purpose

The primary purpose of this scale is to move beyond simply measuring whether an individual engages in moral behavior (e.g., whether they cheat or not) and instead assess why they engage in that behavior. By examining the underlying motivations, researchers can determine the degree to which moral beliefs have been truly internalized—ranging from purely external compliance (avoiding punishment) to integrated self-regulation (acting consistently with one’s core values).

This instrument is particularly valuable for studying the developmental processes of moral acquisition and the influence of environmental factors, such as parenting styles, on shaping autonomous moral functioning in adolescents.

Construct

The scale measures the internalization of moral values, conceptualized as a psychological construct aligned with the continuum of motivation outlined in Self-Determination Theory (SDT). The construct is divided into four distinct regulatory styles, reflecting increasing levels of self-determination:

• External Regulation: Moral actions are performed solely to satisfy an external demand or secure an external reward (e.g., avoiding punishment or trouble).
• Introjected Regulation: Moral actions are performed to avoid feelings of guilt or shame, or to attain self-esteem or pride (internalized pressures but still controlling).
• Identified Regulation: Moral actions are performed because the individual personally values the behavior and identifies with its importance (conscious acceptance of the value).
• Integrated/Intrinsic Regulation: Moral actions are performed because the behavior is fully congruent with the individual’s self-concept and core identity (the highest level of internalization of values).

Validity

The scale demonstrates strong construct validity, as evidenced by its robust factor structure which consistently confirms the four proposed dimensions of moral regulation (External, Introjected, Identified, and Integrated). Studies using this instrument typically show that the more autonomous forms of regulation (Identified and Integrated) correlate positively with proactive moral behaviors and positive psychological adjustment, while controlled forms (External and Introjected) often correlate with negative outcomes or unstable moral compliance.

Furthermore, the scale has shown convergent validity through its meaningful correlations with established measures of moral reasoning, personality traits (such as conscientiousness), and specific parenting dimensions hypothesized to foster autonomous functioning, reinforcing its utility as a measure of moral motivation quality.

Reliability

The Internalization of Moral Values scale exhibits generally good to excellent internal consistency reliability. Across various studies, the subscales corresponding to the four regulatory styles typically yield Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranging from the acceptable to strong range (often 0.70 and above), indicating that the items within each subscale reliably measure the intended underlying motivation type. Test-retest reliability is also generally supported, demonstrating stability of the regulatory profiles over short periods, consistent with the view that moral internalization is a relatively stable psychological construct.

Factor Analysis

Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) is typically used to validate the structure of the scale. The analysis consistently supports a four-factor model corresponding directly to the regulatory styles derived from SDT: External, Introjected, Identified, and Integrated Regulation. The items are structured such that for each moral domain (e.g., cheating, stealing), one item represents each of the four motivational styles. This clear, orthogonal structure confirms that the scale successfully differentiates between qualitatively distinct reasons for moral behavior, rather than simply measuring a single dimension of moral commitment.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire

Format: Likert scale response format, ranging from 1 (not at all important) to 5 (very important).

Language Available: Primarily English; translations may exist in subsequent research applications.

Population Group: Clinical and non-clinical populations.

Age Group: Adolescents (typically middle school through high school age).

Population Details: Developed and validated primarily using samples of middle and late adolescents.

Test Methodology: Participants are presented with six common moral scenarios and asked to rate the importance of four distinct reasons for why they might decide to act morally in that scenario. The scoring involves calculating mean scores for the four subscales across all six domains.

Keywords

Psychometrics, Moral motivation, Ethical behavior, Regulatory styles, Self-regulation, Likert scale, Psychological construct, Parenting.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source material.

Correspondence Address: Not provided in source material.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was published in 2008 as part of an academic research article. Researchers seeking to utilize the scale should contact the corresponding author (Sam A. Hardy) for permission, though instruments published in academic journals are often available for non-commercial research use without a fee. The original PDF containing the instrument items and scoring instructions can be downloaded here: http://psyc526final.wikispaces.com/file/view/Parenting+Dimensions.pdf

Reference’s

Hardy, S. A., Padilla-Walker, L. M., and Carlo, G. (2008). Parenting dimensions and adolescents’ internalisation of moral values. Journal of Moral Education, 37(2), 205–223.

Items of the Internalization of moral values

Instructions: How important is each of the following reasons for why you might decide not to cheat on a test in school? Responses are rated on a 5-point Likert scale: 1 (not at all important) to 5 (very important).

How important is each of the following reasons for why you might decide not to cheat on a test in school?

1. Because if I get caught, I could get an F on my test.
2. Because I would not want my teacher to think I am a cheater.
3. Because I believe cheating is dishonest.
4. Because I am not a dishonest person.

How important is each of the following reasons for why you might decide to tell the truth when given an opportunity to lie?

5. Because I wouldn’t want to get in trouble for lying.
6. Because I would not want people to think of me as a liar.
7. Because I think telling the truth is the right thing to do.
8. Because I consider myself an honest person.

How important is each of the following reasons for why you might do something nice for someone else?

9. Because I want others to be nice to me.
10. Because I want other people to think I am a nice person.
11. Because I think it is good to do nice things for others.
12. Because I am a nice person.

How important is each of the following reasons for why you might decide not to make fun of another person for making a mistake?

13. Because then someone might make fun of me.
14. Because I would not want others to think I am mean.
15. Because it is wrong to make fun of others.
16. Because I do not think of myself as a mean person.

How important is each of the following reasons for why you might not take something that doesn’t belong to you?

17. Because if I get caught I could get in trouble.
18. Because other people would be disappointed in me.
19. Because I think stealing is unfair.
20. Because I don’t think of myself as a person who is unfair.

How important is each of the following reasons for why you might pay someone back who has lent you money?

21. Because I might want to borrow from them again sometime.
22. Because I would want other people to think I am fair.
23. Because I think paying someone back is the fair thing to do.
24. Because I consider myself to be a fair person.