Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Advanced Research in Social Sciences and Humanities, 2024
Year: 2024
DOI:
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Shifts In Moral Decision-Making Among College Students
Kee Jeong Kim
ABSTRACT:
This study reports sharp shifts in moral decision-making among college students over a period of 15 years, utilizing a real-life ethical dilemma introduced in an introductory human development course taught at a 4-year college annually. The dilemma involves lawyers withholding information about an innocent man’s wrongful imprisonment to protect their careers. The dilemma serves as a lens to examine shifts in ethical and moral attitudes and behaviors. Results revealed a noteworthy trend: a decline in students’ willingness to speak up against injustice, reflecting broader societal shifts in ethical priorities. The numeric data not only illuminated the shift in college students’ moral decision-making but also revealed a significant transformation in the rationale behind their choices. This quantitative and qualitative shift underscores the complexity of the phenomenon at hand, prompting a call for future research to delve into the underlying motivations, societal influences, and ethical considerations that are driving these observed changes. Such investigations are essential for gaining a comprehensive understanding of the evolving landscape of moral decision-making among college students and for informing interventions aimed at promoting ethical behavior and fostering a culture of integrity within educational and professional settings.
keywords: moral decision making, college students, ethics, morality, moral development