Moral Foundation Theory: Moral Differences between Moroccan and American Young Adults

Abstract

This cross-cultural comparative study investigated the moral differences between Moroccan and American college students. Both groups completed an online survey that included the moral foundations theory questionnaire (MFQ) regarding the following foundations of care/harm, fairness/reciprocity, in-group/loyalty, authority/respect, purity/sanctity, and liberty/oppression, as well as a demographic questionnaire that focused on age, nationality, gender, religion, political views, and socioeconomic status (Graham, 2011). Results found significant differences in the care/harm, fairness/reciprocity, and liberty/oppression moral foundations. Specifically, the American college students at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) scored higher on the following moral foundations than the Moroccan students. The results suggest that the desire to care for others and their sufferings was of greater moral concern for UMD students as compared to Moroccan students. These results also suggest that American students prioritize principles of fairness, justice, and individual rights as compared to Moroccan students. In addition, we sought to explore the influence of socioeconomic status (SES) on morality as socioeconomic status (SES) has been consistently found to predict differences in morality. When analyzing the SES effects on morality, we discovered that the high SES participants scored higher on care/harm and fairness-reciprocity foundations as compared to the lowest SES participants.