Moral Reasoning about Real-Life Dilemmas: Paradox in Research Using the Defining Issues Test

Cognitive-structural models of moral reasoning have been criticized for ignoring contextual determinants of moral reasoning and, therefore, failing to enhance understanding of real-life moral reasoning. Three studies are reported: (a) Participants completed the Defining Issues Test (DIT; Rest, 1988) and the Personal Moral Dilemma Inventory (PMDI), created to assess real-life moral reasoning; (b) the DIT and PMDI were completed using moral role-plays; (c) participants described the response sets resulting from these role-plays. High- and low-principled reasoners' responses to real-life moral dilemmas were not significantly different. Also, it was harder to distinguish moral from immoral responses to DIT dilemmas than similar responses to real-life dilemmas. Findings support the argument that cognitive-structural models of moral reasoning fail to address everyday moral concerns.