Moral Reasoning among Nigerian Northern Irish Children: A Cross-Cultural Comparison Using the Sociomoral Reflection Measure -Short Form.

Abstract

The moral reasoning of 10-11 year old Nigerian children (n=37) was compared to children of the same age (n=48) from Northern Ireland. The research employed the Socio moral Reflection Measure-Short Form (SRM-SF; Gibbs, Basinger & Fuller, 1992) and assessed the measure's usefulness for cross-cultural research. The results indicated that the Nigerian children scored significantly lower on the SRM-SF. The Nigerian 'moral atmosphere' was suggested as the cause of this result due a greater reliance on unquestioning obedience to religious principles or external authority. The SRM-SF performed suitably in this study, suggesting that the measure is appropriate for further non-Western research, particularly with child samples.


IFE PsychologIA Vol 9, No 2 September 2001, pp. 1-6