Extraordinary Moral Commitment: Young Adults Involved in Social Organizations

The personality of exemplary young adults was studied in an effort to paint a portrait of moral excellence that expanded upon the traditional emphasis on moral reasoning maturity. These young adults were nominated based on their extraordinary moral commitment towards various social organizations. Th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of personality 2004-04, Vol.72 (2), p.413-436
Main Authors: Matsuba, M. Kyle, Walker, Lawrence J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Adults
Analysis of Variance
Behavior. Attitude
Biological and medical sciences
Community participation
Comparative analysis
Ego
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Male
Maturity
Moral Development
Moral reasoning
Morality
Morals
Motivation
Organizations
Personality
Personality Development
Personality traits
Personality. Affectivity
Psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Religion
Social participation
Social psychology
Social Responsibility
Socialization
Surveys and Questionnaires
Young adults
Youth
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Summary:The personality of exemplary young adults was studied in an effort to paint a portrait of moral excellence that expanded upon the traditional emphasis on moral reasoning maturity. These young adults were nominated based on their extraordinary moral commitment towards various social organizations. The sample included 40 moral exemplars and 40 matched comparison individuals who responded to a battery of questionnaires and participated in a semistructured interview. It was found that moral exemplars, in contrast to comparison individuals, were more agreeable, more advanced in their faith and moral reasoning development, further along in forming an adult identity, and more willing to enter into close relationships. These findings are discussed in the context of describing moral excellence from a multifaceted, personality perspective.
ISSN:0022-3506
1467-6494
DOI:10.1111/j.0022-3506.2004.00267.x