Assessment in Moral Psychology: Challenges ‎and Strategies for Resolution

Document Type : Professional

Author

.Assistant Professor, Department of Education, Research Center for Ethics and Spirituality, ‎Islamic Sciences and Culture Academy, Qom, Iran.‎

Abstract

Scientific documents and evidence have highlighted the importance of quantifying the qualitative concepts of ethics. However, designing tools and measurement scales in this domain faces a variety of foundational and structural challenges that require identification and examination. The present study aimed to identify the challenges of assessment in moral psychology and to offer strategies for overcoming them. This research employed a documentary analysis method. Initially, using purposive elite sampling, theoretical sources related to ethical theories were identified. Then, using scientific search engines and websites with accumulative sampling based on quality source selection criteria, articles addressing challenges in measuring moral constructs were identified and analyzed. Findings revealed that the challenges of assessment in moral psychology can be categorized into four main areas: foundational, conceptual, phenomenological, and methodological. Foundational challenges include issues such as the subject of ethics and the classification of moral constructs. Conceptual challenges revolve around whether the concepts are real or constructed, and whether they are dimensional or simple. Phenomenological challenges involve cultural relativism, subjectivism, and instrumentalism. Methodological challenges concern the validation methods, reliability, and accountability of the tools used. For each category of challenge, strategies for resolution were proposed. Implementing these strategies could lead to the development, refinement, and completion of appropriate ethical measurement tools.

Keywords


* The Holy Quran
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