The Role of Moral Foundations and Moral Disengagement in Predicting Moral Courage: Evidence from a non-WEIRD Context

Abstract

Earlier studies have demonstrated that moral values play a critical role in mobilizing against moral norm violations. Despite its importance, scientific knowledge of the concept is limited, especially in non-Western cultures. This study examined the roles of moral foundations and moral disengagement in relation to moral courage in the Turkish cultural context. 658 adults (410 females, 248 males; M_age = 23, SD_age = 9.12) participated in the current study through an online survey. Participants filled out Moral Disengagement Scale (Bandura et al., 1996), Moral Foundations Scale (Graham et al., 2011), and Moral Courage Scale (Bronstein et al., 2007). Results indicated that individualizing moral foundations had a direct and positive association with moral courage; they were also related to moral courage indirectly through decreasing moral disengagement. Binding moral foundations, on the other hand, directly and negatively associated with moral courage, but had no indirect role through moral disengagement. Moreover, exploratory analyses revealed that females tended to be more sensitive to moral issues, were less likely to disengage from moral principles, and were more likely to raise their voices against moral norm violations. Findings showed that moral engagement is a substantial part of intentions to stand up against moral norm violations.