TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2016//
TI  - Age-related differences in moral identity across adulthood
JO  - Developmental psychology
A1  - Krettenauer, Tobias
A1  - Murua, Lourdes Andrea
A1  - Jia, Fanli
SP  - 972
EP  - 984
VL  - 52
IS  - 6
N2  - In this study, age-related differences in adults' moral identity were investigated. Moral identity was conceptualized a context-dependent self-structure that becomes differentiated and (re)integrated in the course of development and that involves a broad range of value-orientations. Based on a cross-sectional sample of 252 participants aged 14 to 65 years (148 women, M = 33.5 years, SD = 16.9) and a modification of the Good Self-Assessment, it was demonstrated that mean-level of moral identity (averaged across the contexts of family, school/work, and community) significantly increased in the adult years, whereas cross-context differentiation showed a nonlinear trend peaking at the age of 25 years. Value-orientations that define individuals' moral identity shifted so that self-direction and rule-conformity became more important with age. Age-related differences in moral identity were associated with, but not fully attributable to changes in personality traits. Overall, findings suggest that moral identity development is a lifelong process that starts in adolescence but expands well into middle age. (PsycINFO Database Record<br><br>(c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0012-1649
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/dev0000127
ID  - ref1
ER  -