The Moral Foundations Self-Assessment Exercise
The Moral Foundations Self-Assessment Exercise
Part 1: Start by writing a one-page description of the most important values that help you navigate through daily
experiences and life as a whole. Identify the set of values or principles that you would never violate voluntarily or
willingly because you consider them “sacred” and among the complex facets or dimensions of your personality,
these values most accurately define the deepest core or essence of who you are as a person and help you
differentiate “right” from “wrong.” These core values may develop or change gradually over a lifetime but in
most cases they are stable and enduring. Discuss how such values may have become a central part of your self-
concept and when you may have become aware of their centrality or importance to your identity. Have these
values changed as you progressed from late childhood to adolescence to adulthood, and if so, how and why?
Part 2: After you’ve written a description of what you consider to be your core values, read the short
introduction to “Moral Foundations Theory” at the following URL:
http://faculty.virginia.edu/haidtlab/mft/index.php?t=home
Once you have read the short introduction to the Moral Foundations Theory, proceed to the section that contains
the set of related assessment questionnaires at the URL below. Although you can access the questionnaire
directly from the URL above, by using the link below it makes it possible to generate a summary of the
aggregated responses from all students who have enrolled in my OB courses during the past two years and
compare them with your results and the results of thousands of other participants.
http://www.yourmorals.org/?grp=780f4dcc671c0fe8d764ce6e6aaab8b7
Before you access the questionnaire items, you will be asked to register by answering a few demographic
questions and verify your voluntary and informed consent to participate in the authors’ research on moral
foundations. You will then be presented with several tables, each one containing different studies related to
personal values. However, for this course assignment, please complete the first set of questions labeled, “Moral
Foundations Questionnaire.” The instrument contains a series of questions related to various scenarios and will
generally ask for you to select your preferred course of action. At the end of the questionnaire you will be
provided with a summary of your responses and a description of what the results reflect about your personal
value system. Print a copy of the results and the researchers’ interpretation of your set of answers.
Part 3: Once you have a copy of your feedback, prepare a reflective essay analyzing your results and addressing
the points outlined below. You don’t need to limit your reflective essay to the questions below; the reflective
essay should summarize your insights, opinions and suggestions about this exercise.
? Do you think the assessment feedback provides an accurate profile of your moral values or moral foundations?
? Did you gain any insights about your personal value system or moral foundations? If so, describe the insights you gained.
? What, if anything, did the feedback reinforce about your previous concept of your own personal values?
? What, if anything, did the feedback indicate about your personal values that you had not considered previously?
? Did you find the exercise a worthwhile investment of your time?
? Any suggestions that may lead to a more meaningful assignment for future students?