Motivational Characteristics of High School Students as Predictors of Ethical Choices in Decision-Making in Corruption Risk Situations
Abstract
The paper presents the results of the study about the nature of the links between the high school students' characteristics of the motivational sphere (life goals, ethical position, locus of control, suggestibility and individual value orientations) and the type (ethical or corruption) and moral orientation (justice or care) of their choices when making decisions in situations of corruption risk. The sample consisted of 112 10th grade students of Moscow educational institutions aged 16-18 years (54 girls and 58 boys). It was found that high school students who choose personal growth as an internal life goal, have an expressed ethical position of idealism and are oriented towards universalism and stimulation as personal values are significantly more likely to make ethical choices (irrespective of their moral orientation) when making decisions in corruption risk situations. Striving for personal growth as an internal life goal, the ethical position of idealism, value orientations towards kindness, security and power are direct predictors of ethical decisions with an orientation towards the morality of justice, while the ethical position of relativism and value orientation towards hedonism are reverse predictors of such decisions. At the same time, relativism, health care and suggestibility are reverse predictors of ethical decisions oriented to the morality of care. Unethical (corrupt) choices based on the principle of justice ("everybody does it, and I can do it") are more often made by senior pupils who strive for money as an external life goal, and based on the principle of care - by respondents with a relativistic ethical position and value orientation towards hedonism. The desire to help can be a direct predictor of both ethical and corrupt decisions, depending on how senior pupils justify their choice: care orientation (ethical) or justice orientation (corrupt).
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