Internalization of moral values
Sam A. Hardy.‚ Laura M. Padilla-Walker and Gustavo Carlo. 2008
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.
1 (not at all important) to 5 (very important)
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.
