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Transcendence and the Moral Self: Identity Integration, Religion, and Moral Life
Author(s) -
Maclean A. Michael,
Walker Lawrence J.,
Matsuba M. Kyle
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal for the scientific study of religion
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.941
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1468-5906
pISSN - 0021-8294
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-5906.2004.00245.x
Subject(s) - religious identity , psychology , moral reasoning , moral disengagement , social psychology , social cognitive theory of morality , moral development , altruism (biology) , identity (music) , moral psychology , epistemology , religiosity , philosophy , aesthetics
Although moral reasoning is able to account for some of the variability in moral behavior, much remains unexplained. Recently, a number of components of personality have been proposed as bridging the gap between moral reasoning and moral behavior. The present study investigates the role that identity integration (the extent to which one's moral values have become integrated into identity) and religious orientation (one's motivation for engaging in religious practice) play in moral functioning. A sample of 60 undergraduates was assessed on identity integration, religious orientation, moral reasoning, and self‐reported altruism. We found positive correlations among moral reasoning, identity integration, intrinsic religious orientation, and self‐reported altruism. A hierarchical regression analysis, however, revealed moral reasoning to be the only significant predictor of self‐reported altruistic behavior. We discuss the relationship between moral reasoning and identity integration and the extent to which the intrinsic religious orientation scale may be a measure of identity integration in the religious domain.