The Effectiveness of Real Life Ethical Dilemmas Training on Adolescent's Moral Identity:Emphasizing on Gender Differences

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of real-life ethical dilemmas training on moral identity in adolescent. The study method was quasi-experimental design (pre-test, post-test, follow-up) with experimental and control groups. Participants comprised 60 students (30 female and 30 male) from tenth grade in 2018-2019 academic year, selected by purposive sampling method using Identity Styles Inventory (Bennion & Adams, 1986). Students who were successful in identity style inventory, completed Moral Identity Questionnaire (Aquino & Reed, 2002) and they randomly divided into experimental and control groups. Then experimental group was trained for eight sessions (each session was 70 minutes) by Real Life Ethical Dilemmas (Green, 2011). Then both groups participated in the post-test and follow-up test after eight weeks. Results showed that the mean of moral identity and its dimensions scores increased after training, but the difference between the two groups in the follow-up stage was not significant. Also, the effect of real-life dilemmas training in symbolizations dimension was more significant in boys' group than the girls' group in the post-test. Thus, moral identity can be changed based on training; however, ongoing and continuous training and moral environment are the prerequisites of attaining reliable effects from training.