| The general objectives of this study were to investigate the relationship between moral reasoning and locus of control among female high school students and to explore the effects that the locus of control orientation and level of moral reasoning of a student leader may have upon the moral reasoning level of peers participating in a discussion group.;A group of sixty-two female high school freshmen and sixty-three female high school seniors completed a locus of control measure and a moral reasoning measure. Twelve seniors were then selected according to specified combinations of Hi-Lo level of moral reasoning and Internality-Externality scores. Freshmen were assigned to moral dilemma discussion groups led by the selected seniors and a second moral reasoning measure was administered after five weeks of sessions.;The statistical analysis of the data included a Pearson product moment correlation, various analyses of variance and covariance, a chi-square test, and a t test. Major findings support two conclusions: first, and in support of the literature, it seems that as level of moral reasoning increases a person tends to be more internal than external. Second, neither the strategy utilized nor the leaders' characteristics yielded a statistically significant effect on the participants' level of moral reasoning.;It was hypothesized that high school seniors would function at a higher level of moral reasoning than freshmen and that seniors would be more internal than freshmen in locus of control. It was also hypothesized that students who scored higher in moral reasoning would also score in the internal direction on locus of control. Finally, it was expected that freshmen participating in discussion groups led by seniors who had scored high in level of moral reasoning and internal in locus of control would show greater growth in moral reasoning at the end of the intervention. |
