DOES MORAL JUDGEMENT MEDIATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MORAL EMOTION AND MORAL IDENTITY TOWARDS PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOUR? AN EMPIRICAL STUDY AMONG MALAYSIAN ADOLESCENTS

Abstract

This study examined the mediating role of moral judgement in the relationship between moral emotion, moral identity, and prosocial behaviour among adolescents in Malaysia. A total of 393 adolescents (170 males; 223 females; M age = 16 years) from 12 public secondary schools completed the surveys on moral judgement, moral identity, moral emotion, and prosocial behaviour. To determine predictive links among the variable, a mediation model in SPSS AMOS 27 was conducted. The results revealed positive correlations among moral judgement, moral emotion, moral identity and prosocial behaviour. Regression analyses showed that while moral identity was positively linked with both prosocial behaviour and moral judgement, whereas moral emotion was positively linked only to moral judgement. Notably, moral judgement fully mediated the link between moral emotion and prosocial behaviour and partially the association between moral identity and prosocial behaviour. These findings highlight the significance of moral judgement as a key factor in linking moral emotion and moral identity to promote prosocial behaviour among adolescents. Implications for promoting moral development in adolescence are discussed. Furthermore, this study calls for a forward-looking perspective by suggesting future inquiries into theoretical models and practical applications.