Memorable Moral Messages and Moral Position among Collegiate Students

Moral development plays an important role in shaping life decisions including moral positions. Different moral positions are results of individual perspectives of right and wrong. In Kohlberg’s Moral Development theory, parents are considered to have more time and authority to teach their younger children of what is good and bad, but as part of child’s growth and development, moral maturity occurs. Thus, this study is about the relationship of moral messages recalled by 395 selected tertiary students from their parents and their moral position on selected moral issues. Specifically, the study aimed to know the moral messages recalled by the students, primary source of their moral messages among their parents, their moral positions on selected issues, and the relationship between memorable moral messages and moral positions. Moral messages were categorized into five moral domains namely: Relational Ethics, Self- honoring behavior, Honesty/Fraudulence, Harmful Acts, and Respecting Higher Authority while selected moral issues are Abortion, Homosexuality, Premarital Sex, and Substance Abuse. These moral messages and moral issues were identified through related literatures and Focus Group Discussion (FGD). Then, it was used in modifying the survey, parallel to Philippine culture. Interestingly, the findings of the study show that there are only few moral messages related to the moral position of the respondents. Therefore, this was concluded that other sources that could be significant with the respondents moral position on selected moral issues.

Keywords – moral messages, moral position, moral issues, memorable, moral development.