Moral character and virtue الأخلاق

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمࣲ‏

truly you have a strong character––

وَٱلۡمُطَلَّقَٰتُ يَتَرَبَّصۡنَ بِأَنفُسِهِنَّ ثَلَٰثَةَ قُرُوٓءࣲۚ وَلَا يَحِلُّ لَهُنَّ أَن يَكۡتُمۡنَ مَا خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ فِيٓ أَرۡحَامِهِنَّ إِن كُنَّ يُؤۡمِنَّ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأٓخِرِۚ وَبُعُولَتُهُنَّ أَحَقُّ بِرَدِّهِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ إِنۡ أَرَادُوٓاْ إِصۡلَٰحࣰ اۚ وَلَهُنَّ مِثۡلُ ٱلَّذِي عَلَيۡهِنَّ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِۚ وَلِلرِّجَالِ عَلَيۡهِنَّ دَرَجَةࣱۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ

Divorced women must wait for three monthly periods before remarrying, and, if they really believe in God and the Last Day, it is not lawful for them to conceal what God has created in their wombs: their husbands would do better to take them back during this period, provided they wish to put things right. Wives have [rights] similar to their [obligations], according to what is recognized to be fair, and husbands have a degree [of right] over them: [both should remember that] God is almighty and wise

وَلۡتَكُن مِّنكُمۡ أُمَّةࣱ يَدۡعُونَ إِلَى ٱلۡخَيۡرِ وَيَأۡمُرُونَ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَيَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنكَرِۚ وَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ

Be a community that calls for what is good, urges what is right, and forbids what is wrong: those who do this are the successful ones

كُنتُمۡ خَيۡرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخۡرِجَتۡ لِلنَّاسِ تَأۡمُرُونَ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَتَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَتُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِۗ وَلَوۡ ءَامَنَ أَهۡلُ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ لَكَانَ خَيۡرࣰ ا لَّهُمۚ مِّنۡهُمُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ وَأَكۡثَرُهُمُ ٱلۡفَٰسِقُونَ

[Believers], you are the best community singled out for people: you order what is right, forbid what is wrong, and believe in God. If the People of the Book had also believed, it would have been better for them. For although some of them do believe, most of them are lawbreakers

يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأٓخِرِ وَيَأۡمُرُونَ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَيَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَيُسَٰرِعُونَ فِي ٱلۡخَيۡرَٰتِۖ وَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ

who believe in God and the Last Day, who order what is right and forbid what is wrong, who are quick to do good deeds. These people are among the righteous

ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ ٱلرَّسُولَ ٱلنَّبِيَّ ٱلۡأُمِّيَّ ٱلَّذِي يَجِدُونَهُۥ مَكۡتُوبًا عِندَهُمۡ فِي ٱلتَّوۡرَىٰةِ وَٱلۡإِنجِيلِ يَأۡمُرُهُم بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَيَنۡهَىٰهُمۡ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلۡخَبَٰٓئِثَ وَيَضَعُ عَنۡهُمۡ إِصۡرَهُمۡ وَٱلۡأَغۡلَٰلَ ٱلَّتِي كَانَتۡ عَلَيۡهِمۡۚ فَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ بِهِۦ وَعَزَّرُوهُ وَنَصَرُوهُ وَٱتَّبَعُواْ ٱلنُّورَ ٱلَّذِيٓ أُنزِلَ مَعَهُۥٓ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ

who follow the Messenger- the unlettered prophet they find described in the Torah that is with them, and in the Gospel- who commands them to do right and forbids them to do wrong, who makes good things lawful to them and bad things unlawful, and relieves them of their burdens, and the iron collars that were on them. So it is those who believe him, honour and help him, and who follow the light which has been sent down with him, who will succeed.’

(And lo! thou art of a tremendous nature) [68:4]. Abu Bakr al-Harithi informed us> �Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Hayyan> Ahmad ibn Ja�far> ibn Nasr al-Jamal> Jarir ibn Yahya> Husayn ibn �Ulwan al-Kufi> Hisham ibn �Urwah> his father> �A�ishah who said: �No one had a better character than the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace. Never did anyone among his Companions, or household, call him except that he said: �I am at your service!� this is why Allah, glorious and majestic is He, revealed (And lo! thou art of a tremendous nature)�.

And assuredly you possess a magnificent nature a magnificent religion.

Divorced women shall wait by themselves before remarrying for three periods qurū’in is the plural of qar’ of purity or menstruation — these are two different opinions — which begin from the moment of divorce. This stipulation applies to those who have been sexually penetrated but not to those otherwise on account of His saying there shall be no waiting period for you to reckon against them Q. 3349. The waiting period for immature or menopausal women is three months; pregnant women on the other hand must wait until they give birth as stated in the sūrat al-Talāq Q. 654 while slavegirls must wait two months according to the Sunna. And it is not lawful for them to hide what God has created in their wombs of child or menstruation if they believe in God and the Last Day. Their mates their spouses have a better right to restore them to bring them back even if they refuse in such time that is d

And divorced women shall wait (as regards their marriage) for three menstrual periods, and it is not lawful for them to conceal what Allah has created in their wombs, if they believe in Allah and the Last Day. And their husbands have the better right to take them back in that period, if they wish for reconciliation. And they (women) have rights (over their husbands as regards living expenses) similar (to those of their husbands) over them (as regards obedience and respect) to what is reasonable, but men have a degree (of responsibility) over them. And Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise (228) The 'Iddah (Waiting Period) of the Divorced Woman This Ayah contains a command from Allah that the divorced woman, whose marriage was consummated and who still has menstruation periods, should wait for three (menstrual) periods (Quru') after the divorce and then remarry if she wishes. The Meaning of Al

Let there be a community of you inviting to the good. This is an allusion to peoples who stand up for God in God. They are not taken aback by the blame of any blamer nor cut off from God by relying on any causes. They have seen the shortcomings of their own souls and immersed their lives in gaining God's approval. They act for God, give counsel for God's religion, and call God's creatures to God. Their trade has profited them and they do not regret their handshake. This is the description of a people who stand through the Real's making them stand and who have been freed from their own power and strength and disengaged from their own desires and aims. They are outside the circle of deeds and states, free of the captivity of choice and self- determination. They know God, they call upon God, and they strive in God's religion. They do not think about people or their blame. In their hearts th

(Ye are the best community that hath been raised up for mankind�) [3:110]. �Ikrimah and Muqatil said: �This was revealed about [�Abd Allah] Ibn Mas�ud, Ubayy ibn Ka�b, Mu�adh ibn Jabal and Salim, the client of Abu Hudhayfah. Malik ibn al-Dayf and Wahb ibn Yahudha, both of them Jews, had said to them: �Our religion is better than that to which you call us; and we are also more virtuous and better than you�. And Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse as a response to them�.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْعَلاَءِ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَةُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ أَكْمَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِيمَانًا أَحْسَنُهُمْ خُلُقًا وَخِيَارُكُمْ خِيَارُكُمْ لِنِسَائِهِمْ خُلُقًا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ وَابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى حَدِيثُ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ ‏.‏

Abu Hurairah narrated that The Messenger of Allah said:“The most complete of the believers in faith, is the one with the best character among them. And the best of you are those who are best to your women.”

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ خِرَاشٍ الْبَغْدَادِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا حَبَّانُ بْنُ هِلاَلٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُبَارَكُ بْنُ فَضَالَةَ، حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ رَبِّهِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْمُنْكَدِرِ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ إِنَّ مِنْ أَحَبِّكُمْ إِلَىَّ وَأَقْرَبِكُمْ مِنِّي مَجْلِسًا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَحَاسِنَكُمْ أَخْلاَقًا وَإِنَّ أَبْغَضَكُمْ إِلَىَّ وَأَبْعَدَكُمْ مِنِّي مَجْلِسًا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ الثَّرْثَارُونَ وَالْمُتَشَدِّقُونَ وَالْمُتَفَيْهِقُونَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَدْ عَلِمْنَا الثَّرْثَارُونَ وَالْمُتَشَدِّقُونَ فَمَا الْمُتَفَيْهِقُونَ قَالَ ‏"‏ الْمُتَكَبِّرُونَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ‏.‏ وَهَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ ‏.‏ وَرَوَى بَعْضُهُمْ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ عَنِ الْمُبَارَكِ بْنِ فَضَالَةَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْمُنْكَدِرِ عَنْ جَابِرٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ فِيهِ عَنْ عَبْدِ رَبِّهِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ وَهَذَا أَصَحُّ ‏.‏ وَالثَّرْثَارُ هُوَ الْكَثِيرُ الْكَلاَمِ وَالْمُتَشَدِّقُ الَّذِي يَتَطَاوَلُ عَلَى النَّاسِ فِي الْكَلاَمِ وَيَبْذُو عَلَيْهِمْ ‏.‏

Jabir narrated that the Messenger of Allah said:"Indeed the most beloved among you to me, and the nearest to sit with me on the Day of Judgment is the best of you in character. And indeed, the most disliked among you to me, and the one sitting furthest from me on the Day of Judgement are the Thartharun, and the Mutashaddiqun and the Muthafaihiqun." They said: "O Messenger of Allah! We know about the Thartharun, and the Mutashaddiqun, but what about the Muthafaihiqun?"' He said:"The arrogant

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَانُ، عَنْ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ، عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ لَمْ يَكُنِ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَاحِشًا وَلاَ مُتَفَحِّشًا وَكَانَ يَقُولُ ‏ "‏ إِنَّ مِنْ خِيَارِكُمْ أَحْسَنَكُمْ أَخْلاَقًا ‏"‏‏.‏

Narrated `Abdullah bin `Amr:The Prophet (ﷺ) never used bad language neither a "Fahish nor a Mutafahish. He used to say "The best amongst you are those who have the best manners and character." (See Hadith No. 56 (B) Vol

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَيَّاشٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو غَسَّانَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُنْكَدِرِ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ كُلُّ مَعْرُوفٍ صَدَقَةٌ ‏"‏‏.‏

Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, Enjoining, all that is good is a Sadaqa

حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ حَفْصٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي شَقِيقٌ، عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ، قَالَ كُنَّا جُلُوسًا مَعَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو يُحَدِّثُنَا إِذْ قَالَ لَمْ يَكُنْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَاحِشًا وَلاَ مُتَفَحِّشًا، وَإِنَّهُ كَانَ يَقُولُ ‏ "‏ إِنَّ خِيَارَكُمْ أَحَاسِنُكُمْ أَخْلاَقًا ‏"‏‏.‏

Narrated Masruq:We were sitting with `Abdullah bin `Amr who was narrating to us (Hadith): He said, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was neither a Fahish nor a Mutafahhish, and he used to say, 'The best among you are the best in character (having good manners)

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ ابْنِ الْمُنْكَدِرِ، حَدَّثَهُ عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ، أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ، أَخْبَرَتْهُ‏.‏ أَنَّهُ، اسْتَأْذَنَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ ائْذَنُوا لَهُ فَبِئْسَ ابْنُ الْعَشِيرَةِ ‏"‏‏.‏ أَوْ ‏"‏ بِئْسَ أَخُو الْعَشِيرَةِ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَلَمَّا دَخَلَ أَلاَنَ لَهُ الْكَلاَمَ‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قُلْتَ مَا قُلْتَ، ثُمَّ أَلَنْتَ لَهُ فِي الْقَوْلِ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ أَىْ عَائِشَةُ، إِنَّ شَرَّ النَّاسِ مَنْزِلَةً عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مَنْ تَرَكَهُ ـ أَوْ وَدَعَهُ ـ النَّاسُ اتِّقَاءَ فُحْشِهِ ‏"‏‏.‏

Narrated Aisha:A man asked permission to see the Prophet. He said, "Let Him come in; What an evil man of the tribe he is! (Or, What an evil brother of the tribe he is). But when he entered, the Prophet (ﷺ) spoke to him gently in a polite manner. I said to him, "O Allah's Apostle! You have said what you have said, then you spoke to him in a very gentle and polite manner? The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The worse people, in the sight of Allah are those whom the people leave (undisturbed) to save themselves from their dirty language

ونحن نقول متى باتت مهاجرة لفراش عاشقها الذي هو بعلها لعنتها الملائكة حتى تصبح قالوا والعشق يصفي العقل ويذهب الهم ويبعث على حسن اللباس وطيب المطعم ومكارم الأخلاق ويعلي الهمة ويحمل على طيب الرائحة وكرم العشرة وحفظ الأدب والمروءة وهو بلاء الصالحين ومحنة العابدين وهو ميزان العقول وجلاء الأذهان وهو خلق الكرام كما قيل

ومن قائل قال المروءة سخاوة النفس وحسن الخلق

غالبا بالمخالطة ويسلم منها في الخلوة وهي أربعة الغيبة والنميمة والرياء والسكوت عن الأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر ومسارقة الطبع من الأخلاق الرديئة والأعمال الخبيثة التي يوجبها الحرص على الدنيا

وهذه إشارة إلى فائدة أخرى في العزلة وهو بقاء الستر على الدين والمروءة والأخلاق والفقر وسائر العورات

حقيقتها هي منزلة الإحسان إلى الناس وكف الأذى عنهم واحتمال أذاهم فهي استعمال حسن الخلق معهم فهي في الحقيقة نتيجة حسن الخلق واستعماله والفرق بينها وبين المروءة : أن المروءة أعم منها فالفتوة نوع من أنواع المروءة فإن المروءة استعمال ما يجمل ويزين مما هو مختص بالعبد أو متعد إلى غيره وترك ما يدنس ويشين مما هو مختص أيضا به أو متعلق بغيره و الفتوة إنما هي استعمال الأخلاق الكريمة مع الخلق

الأدب الثاني حسن الخلق معهن واحتمال الأذى منهن ترحما عليهن لقصور عقلهن

Measuring the Virtues and Character Traits of Rehabilitation Clients: The Adapted Inventory of Virtues and Strengths.: Purpose: To develop the Adapted Inventory of Virtues and Strengths (AIVS), a measure of rehabilitation clients' virtues and character traits. Methods: Test items were devised through a multi-step procedure, and exploratory factor analysis was employed to derive the factor structure of the AIVS. Item-total correlation and internal consistency (Cronbach's α) were examined to test reliability of the AIVS. Results: AIVS subscales include Emotional Transcendence, Practical Wisdom, Integrity, Courage,

Treatment of Moral Injury in U.S. Veterans with PTSD Using a Structured Chaplain Intervention.: Moral injury is a complex phenomenon characterized by spiritual, psychological, and moral distress caused by actions or acts of omission inconsistent with an individual's moral and ethical values. We present two cases from an ongoing randomized controlled trial of a spiritually integrated structured intervention delivered by chaplains for individuals suffering from moral injury. Chaplains met with Veterans for twelve 50-min sessions that each focused on a specific domain of moral injury. Partici

Efficacy of cultivating human strengths and virtues on well-being: A one-stage meta-analytic structural equation modeling approach.: Mental health research emphasizes the importance of fostering character strengths to promote well-being. However, whether the strengths supposedly developed by these interventions actually mediate their effects on well-being is still unknown. The included studies were RCTs of strength-based interventions on well-being. Among 83,908 reviewed abstracts, five strengths met the strict inclusion criteria to be meta-analyzed. We included 114 RCTs with a total of 20,853 participants. A One-Stage Meta-A

Feelings of shame, embarrassment and guilt and their neural correlates: A systematic review.: This systematic review aimed to provide a comprehensive summary of the current literature on the neurobiological underpinnings of the experience of the negative moral emotions: shame, embarrassment and guilt. PsycINFO, PubMed and MEDLINE were used to identify existing studies. Twenty-one functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography studies were reviewed. Although studies differed considerably in methodology, their findings highlight both shared and distin

Gender differences in self-conscious emotional experience: a meta-analysis.: The self-conscious emotions (SCE) of guilt, shame, pride, and embarrassment are moral emotions, which motivate adherence to social norms and personal standards and emerge in early childhood following the development of self-awareness. Gender stereotypes of emotion maintain that women experience more guilt, shame, and embarrassment but that men experience more pride. To estimate the magnitude of gender differences in SCE experience and to determine the circumstances under which these gender diffe

A meta-analytic investigation of the antecedents, theoretical correlates, and consequences of moral disengagement at work.: Moral disengagement refers to a set of cognitive tactics people employ to sidestep moral self-regulatory processes that normally prevent wrongdoing. In this study, we present a comprehensive meta-analytic review of the nomological network of moral disengagement at work. First, we test its dispositional and contextual antecedents, theoretical correlates, and consequences, including ethics (workplace misconduct and organizational citizenship behaviors [OCBs]) and non-ethics outcomes (turnover inte

Age-related differences in moral identity across adulthood.

In this study, age-related differences in adults' moral identity were investigated. Moral identity was conceptualized a context-dependent self-structure that becomes differentiated and (re)integrated in the course of development and that involves a broad range of value-orientations. Based on a cross-sectional sample of 252 participants aged 14 to 65 years (148 women, M = 33.5 years, SD = 16.9) and a modification of the Good Self-Assessment, it was demonstrated that mean-level of moral identity (averaged across the contexts of family, school/work, and community) significantly increased in the adult years, whereas cross-context differentiation showed a nonlinear trend peaking at the age of 25 years. Value-orientations that define individuals' moral identity shifted so that self-direction and rule-conformity became more important with age. Age-related differences in moral identity were asso…

matched on Morals (mesh)

Empathic concern drives costly altruism.

Why do we self-sacrifice to help others in distress? Two competing theories have emerged, one suggesting that prosocial behavior is primarily motivated by feelings of empathic other-oriented concern, the other that we help mainly because we are egoistically focused on reducing our own discomfort. Here we explore the relationship between costly altruism and these two sub-processes of empathy, specifically drawing on the caregiving model to test the theory that trait empathic concern (e.g. general tendency to have sympathy for another) and trait personal distress (e.g. predisposition to experiencing aversive arousal states) may differentially drive altruistic behavior. We find that trait empathic concern--and not trait personal distress--motivates costly altruism, and this relationship is supported by activity in the ventral tegmental area, caudate and subgenual anterior cingulate, key reg…

matched on Morals (mesh)

Burnout and Resilience Among Nurses Practicing in High-Intensity Settings.

Background: The high level of stress experienced by nurses leads to moral distress, burnout, and a host of detrimental effects. Objectives: To support creation of healthy work environments and to design a 2-phase project to enhance nurses' resilience while improving retention and reducing turnover. Methods: In phase 1, a cross-sectional survey was used to characterize the experiences of a high-stress nursing cohort. A total of 114 nurses in 6 high-intensity units completed 6 survey tools to assess the nurses' characteristics as the context for burnout and to explore factors involved in burnout, moral distress, and resilience. Statistical analysis was used to determine associations between scale measures and to identify independent variables related to burnout. Results: Moral distress was a significant predictor of all 3 aspects of burnout, and the association between burnout and resilien…

matched on Morals (mesh)

Neurodegeneration and Identity.

There is a widespread notion, both within the sciences and among the general public, that mental deterioration can rob individuals of their identity. Yet there have been no systematic investigations of what types of cognitive damage lead people to appear to no longer be themselves. We measured perceived identity change in patients with three kinds of neurodegenerative disease: frontotemporal dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Structural equation models revealed that injury to the moral faculty plays the primary role in identity discontinuity. Other cognitive deficits, including amnesia, have no measurable impact on identity persistence. Accordingly, frontotemporal dementia has the greatest effect on perceived identity, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis has the least. We further demonstrated that perceived identity change fully mediates the impact of neurode…

matched on Morals (mesh)

The development of bystander intentions and social-moral reasoning about intergroup verbal aggression.

A developmental intergroup approach was taken to examine the development of prosocial bystander intentions among children and adolescents. Participants as bystanders (N = 260) aged 8-10 and 13-15 years were presented with scenarios of direct aggression between individuals from different social groups (i.e., intergroup verbal aggression). These situations involved either an ingroup aggressor and an outgroup victim or an outgroup aggressor and an ingroup victim. This study focussed on the role of intergroup factors (group membership, ingroup identification, group norms, and social-moral reasoning) in the development of prosocial bystander intentions. Findings showed that prosocial bystander intentions declined with age. This effect was partially mediated by the ingroup norm to intervene and perceived severity of the verbal aggression. However, a moderated mediation analysis showed that onl…

matched on Morals (mesh)

Relationships among Trait Resilience, Virtues, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, and Post-traumatic Growth.

The present study aims to examine the relationship between trait resilience and virtues in the context of trauma. A total of 537 participants who attended the preliminary investigation and completed the Life Events Checklist were screened. Of these participants, 142 suffered from personal traumatic experiences in the past year; these individuals were qualified and invited to respond to online questionnaires to assess trait resilience, virtues (i.e., Conscientiousness, Vitality, and Relationship), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and post-traumatic growth (PTG). The following questionnaires were used: Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-Revised, Chinese Virtues Questionnaire, PTSD Checklist-Specific, and Post-traumatic Growth Inventory-Chinese. Only 95 participants who manifested self-reported PTSD symptoms and PTG were involved in the current analyses. Trauma was positively a…

matched on Virtues (mesh)

Autonomic and prefrontal events during moral elevation.

Moral elevation, or elevation, is a specific emotional state triggered by witnessing displays of profound virtue and moral beauty. This study set out to characterize the physiology underlying elevation with measurements of heart rate (HR), respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) activity. During elevation, HR and RSA increased. These findings illustrate that elevation involves an uncommon combination of both sympathetic and parasympathetic activation, which is present in circumstances where arousal and social engagement are both required. In addition, we show evidence of content-dependent alterations of mPFC activity during elevation peaks. Altogether, this study shows that the induction of moral elevation recruits an uncommon autonomic and neural pattern that is consistent with previous understanding of socioemotional-induced allostasis.

matched on Morals (mesh)

Doing good medical ethics: a Christian perspective.

Despite the rise of the secular state, religion remains a significant force in society. Within Christianity this encompasses a wide variety of beliefs. These range from simple assertions of theism in a cultural context to complex theologies; from liberal emphases on uncertainty and exploration to dogmatic views of divine revelation. How one 'does' good medical ethics depends on these perspectives. Contingently, the Christian contribution to medical ethics has been huge and constructive. Central to that contribution is a core belief in the intrinsic value of human life, respect for which we are accountable to God. Christianity continues to deserve its place 'in the public square' and, specifically, in medical ethical discourse.

matched on Morals (mesh)

Social-economical decision making in current and remitted major depression.

Background: Prosocial emotions related to self-blame are important in guiding human altruistic decisions. These emotions are elevated in major depressive disorder (MDD), such that MDD has been associated with guilt-driven pathological hyper-altruism. However, the impact of such emotional impairments in MDD on different types of social decision-making is unknown. Method: In order to address this issue, we investigated different kinds of altruistic behaviour (interpersonal cooperation and fund allocation, altruistic punishment and charitable donation) in 33 healthy subjects, 35 patients in full remission (unmedicated) and 24 currently depressed patients (11 on medication) using behavioural-economical paradigms. Results: We show a significant main effect of clinical status on altruistic decisions (p = 0.04) and a significant interaction between clinical status and type of altruistic decisio…

matched on Morals (mesh)

Abnormal brain responses to social fairness in depression: an fMRI study using the Ultimatum Game.

Background: Depression is a prevalent disorder that significantly affects the social functioning and interpersonal relationships of individuals. This highlights the need for investigation of the neural mechanisms underlying these social difficulties. Investigation of social exchanges has traditionally been challenging as such interactions are difficult to quantify. Recently, however, neuroeconomic approaches that combine multiplayer behavioural economic paradigms and neuroimaging have provided a framework to operationalize and quantify the study of social interactions and the associated neural substrates. Method: We investigated brain activation using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in unmedicated depressed participants (n = 25) and matched healthy controls (n = 25). During scanning, participants played a behavioural economic paradigm, the Ultimatum Game (UG). In this task, …

matched on Morals (mesh)

Incidental emotions in moral dilemmas: the influence of emotion regulation.

Recent theories have argued that emotions play a central role in moral decision-making and suggested that emotion regulation may be crucial in reducing emotion-linked biases. The present studies focused on the influence of emotional experience and individual differences in emotion regulation on moral choice in dilemmas that pit harming another person against social welfare. During these "harm to save" moral dilemmas, participants experienced mostly fear and sadness but also other emotions such as compassion, guilt, anger, disgust, regret and contempt (Study 1). Fear and disgust were more frequently reported when participants made deontological choices, whereas regret was more frequently reported when participants made utilitarian choices. In addition, habitual reappraisal negatively predicted deontological choices, and this effect was significantly carried through emotional arousal (Stud…

matched on Morals (mesh)

Transgression as addiction: religiosity and moral disapproval as predictors of perceived addiction to pornography.

Perceived addiction to Internet pornography is increasingly a focus of empirical attention. The present study examined the role that religious belief and moral disapproval of pornography use play in the experience of perceived addiction to Internet pornography. Results from two studies in undergraduate samples (Study 1, N = 331; Study 2, N = 97) indicated that there was a robust positive relationship between religiosity and perceived addiction to pornography and that this relationship was mediated by moral disapproval of pornography use. These results persisted even when actual use of pornography was controlled. Furthermore, although religiosity was negatively predictive of acknowledging any pornography use, among pornography users, religiosity was unrelated to actual levels of use. A structural equation model from a web-based sample of adults (Study 3, N = 208) revealed similar results.…

matched on Morals (mesh)

How much is it going to cost me? Bidirectional relations between adolescents' moral personality and prosocial behavior.

The current study examined bidirectional relations between adolescents' moral personality (prosocial values, self-regulation, and sympathy) and low- and high-cost prosocial behavior toward strangers. Participants included 682 adolescents (M age of child = 14.31, SD = 1.07, 50% female) who participated at two time points, approximately one year apart. Cross-lag analyses suggested that adolescents' values were associated with both low- and high-cost prosocial behavior one year later, self-regulation was associated with high-cost prosocial behavior, and sympathy was associated with low-cost prosocial behavior. Findings also suggested that low-cost prosocial behavior was associated with sympathy one year later, and high-cost prosocial behavior was associated with values. Discussion focuses on reciprocal relations between moral personality and prosocial behavior, and the need to consider a mo…

matched on Morals (mesh)

The interrelationships between moral attitudes, posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and mixed lateral preference in Israeli reserve combat troops.

Background: Combat soldiers often encounter moral dilemmas during operational deployment, especially when an armed engagement is situated within a civilian setting. The study of moral dilemmas and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has mostly focused on the impact of war atrocities and moral injury. However, the relationship between moral attitudes and different combat-related pathologies has not been thoroughly addressed by quantitative studies. Aims: We aimed to assess the relationship between combatant's moral attitudes, severity of PTSD symptoms and mixed lateral preference. Methods: Data on moral objection, PTSD severity and lateral preference were collected in a right-handed non-pathologic sample (n = 147) of reserve combat troops in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Results: Nearly one-fifth (19.7%) of the reserve personnel who served in the occupied territories have reported hig…

matched on Morals (mesh)

Moral elevation reduces prejudice against gay men.

Disgust is linked to social evaluation. People with higher disgust sensitivity exhibit more sexual prejudice, and inducing disgust increases sexual prejudice. We tested whether inducing moral elevation, the theoretical opposite of disgust, would reduce sexual prejudice. In four studies (N = 3622), we induced elevation with inspiring videos and then measured sexual prejudice with implicit and explicit measures. Compared to control videos that elicited no particular affective state, we found that elevation reduced implicit and explicit sexual prejudice, albeit very slightly. No effect was observed when the target of social evaluation was changed to race (Black-White). Inducing amusement, another positive emotion, did not significantly affect sexual prejudice. We conclude that elevation weakly but reliably reduces prejudice towards gay men.

matched on Morals (mesh)

"What matters most:" a cultural mechanism moderating structural vulnerability and moral experience of mental illness stigma.

To understand Chinese immigrants' experiences with mental illness stigma and mental health disparities, we integrate frameworks of 'structural vulnerability' and 'moral experience' to identify how interaction between structural discrimination and cultural engagements might shape stigma. Fifty Chinese immigrants, including 64% Fuzhounese immigrants who experienced particularly harsh socio-economical deprivation, from two Chinese bilingual psychiatric inpatient units in New York City were interviewed from 2006 to 2010 about their experiences of mental illness stigma. Interview questions were derived from 4 stigma measures, covering various life domains. Participants were asked to elaborate their rating of measure items, and thus provided open-ended, narrative data. Analysis of the narrative data followed a deductive approach, guided by frameworks of structural discrimination and "what matt…

matched on Morals (mesh)

The essence of innocence: consequences of dehumanizing Black children.

The social category "children" defines a group of individuals who are perceived to be distinct, with essential characteristics including innocence and the need for protection (Haslam, Rothschild, & Ernst, 2000). The present research examined whether Black boys are given the protections of childhood equally to their peers. We tested 3 hypotheses: (a) that Black boys are seen as less "childlike" than their White peers, (b) that the characteristics associated with childhood will be applied less when thinking specifically about Black boys relative to White boys, and (c) that these trends would be exacerbated in contexts where Black males are dehumanized by associating them (implicitly) with apes (Goff, Eberhardt, Williams, & Jackson, 2008). We expected, derivative of these 3 principal hypotheses, that individuals would perceive Black boys as being more responsible for their actions and as be…

matched on Morals (mesh)

Selfish or selfless? On the signal value of emotion in altruistic behavior.

Theories that reject the existence of altruism presume that emotional benefits serve as ulterior motives for doing good deeds. These theories argue that even in the absence of material and reputational benefits, individuals reap utility from the feelings associated with doing good. In response to this normative view of altruism, this article examines the descriptive question of whether laypeople penalize emotional prosocial actors. Six studies find that emotion serves as a positive signal of moral character, despite the intrapsychic benefits associated with it. This is true when emotion motivates prosocial behavior (Studies 1, 2, 3, and 5) and when emotion is a positive outcome of prosocial behavior (i.e., "warm glow"; Studies 4, 5, and 6). Emotional actors are considered to be moral because people believe emotion provides an honest and direct signal that the actor feels a genuine concer…

matched on Morals (mesh)

Compassion fatigue, moral distress, and work engagement in surgical intensive care unit trauma nurses: a pilot study.

Preparation for replacing the large proportion of staff nurses reaching retirement age in the next few decades in the United States is essential to continue delivering high-quality nursing care and improving patient outcomes. Retaining experienced critical care nurses is imperative to successfully implementing the orientation of new inexperienced critical care nurses. It is important to understand factors that affect work engagement to develop strategies that enhance nurse retention and improve the quality of patient care. Nurses' experience of moral distress has been measured in medical intensive care units but not in surgical trauma care units, where nurses are exposed to patients and families faced with sudden life-threatening, life-changing patient consequences. This pilot study is a nonexperimental, descriptive, correlational design to examine the effect of compassion satisfaction, …

matched on Morals (mesh)

Friendship selection and influence in bullying and defending: effects of moral disengagement.

The current study examined the development of bullying and defending over a 1-year period as related to friends' influence and individual and friends' moral disengagement (i.e., self-justification mechanisms that allow one to avoid moral self-censure of transgressive actions) in children and young adolescents. Via longitudinal social network analysis (RSiena), it was tested whether similarity between friends in bullying and defending developed over time due to friends' influence, while controlling for friendship selection processes, and whether there were differences in these processes between children (age 9-10 years; n = 133; 42.9% girls) and young adolescents (age 11-14 years; n = 236; 40.6% girls). Results showed that individuals selected peers as friends who were similar in bullying and became more similar to friends in bullying over time, but only in early adolescence. Moreover, th…

matched on Morals (mesh)

Me or you? Neural correlates of moral reasoning in everyday conflict situations in adolescents and adults.

Throughout adolescence, progress in the understanding of the moral domain as well as changes in moral behavior is observable. We tested 16 adolescents (14-16 years of age) and 16 healthy adults (22-31 years of age) on the developmental changes in everyday moral decision making using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Using verbal stories describing everyday moral conflict situations, subjects had to decide between a moral standard or a personal desire. In the moral conflict situations, adolescents not only chose significantly more often the hedonistic alternative than adults, but they also reported higher certainty ratings. Contrasted with everyday social conflict situations that required a decision between a social-oriented behavior and a personal need, moral conflict situations induced an activity increase in frontal areas, the middle temporal gyrus, the thalamus, and the pa…

matched on Morals (mesh)

Shaping legal abortion provision in Ghana: using policy theory to understand provider-related obstacles to policy implementation.

Background: Unsafe abortion is a major public health problem in Ghana; despite its liberal abortion law, access to safe, legal abortion in public health facilities is limited. Theory is often neglected as a tool for providing evidence to inform better practice; in this study we investigated the reasons for poor implementation of the policy in Ghana using Lipsky's theory of street-level bureaucracy to better understand how providers shape and implement policy and how provider-level barriers might be overcome. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 43 health professionals of different levels (managers, obstetricians, midwives) at three hospitals in Accra, as well as staff from smaller and private sector facilities. Relevant policy and related documents were also analysed. Results: Findings confirm that health providers' views shape provision of safe-abortion services. Most promin…

matched on Morals (mesh)

How do deployed health care providers experience moral injury?

Combat deployments put health care providers in ethically compromising and morally challenging situations. A sample of recently deployed nurses and physicians provided narratives that were analyzed to better appreciate individual perceptions of moral dilemmas that arise in combat. Specific questions to be answered by this inquiry are: 1) How do combat deployed nurses and physicians make sense of morally injurious traumatic exposures? and 2) What are the possible psychosocial consequences of these and other deployment stressors? This narrative inquiry involves analysis of ten deployed military nurses' and physicians' aversive or traumatic experiences. Burke's dramatist pentad is used for structural narrative analysis of stories that confirm and illuminate the impact of war zone events such as betrayal, disproportionate violence, incidents involving civilians, and within-rank violence on m…

matched on Morals (mesh)

Paradoxical consequences of prohibitions.

Explanations based in attribution theory claim that strong external controls such as parental restrictiveness and punishment undermine moral internalization. In contrast, 3 studies provide evidence that parental punishment does socialize morality, but of a particular sort: a morality focused on prohibitions (i.e., proscriptive orientation) rather than positive obligations (i.e., prescriptive orientation). Study 1 found young adults' accounts of parental restrictiveness and punishment activated their sensitivity to prohibitions and predicted a proscriptive orientation. Consistent with the greater potency of temptations for proscriptively oriented children, as well as past research linking shame to proscriptive morality, Study 2 found that restrictive parenting was also associated with greater suppression of temptations. Finally, Studies 3A and 3B found that suppressing these immoral thoug…

matched on Morals (mesh)

"Two for flinching": children's and adolescents' narrative accounts of harming their friends and siblings.

This study investigated differences in children's and adolescents' experiences of harming their siblings and friends. Participants (N = 101; 7-, 11-, and 16-year-olds) provided accounts of events when they hurt a younger sibling and a friend. Harm against friends was described as unusual, unforeseeable, and circumstantial. By contrast, harm against siblings was described as typical, ruthless, angry, and provoked, but also elicited more negative moral judgments and more feelings of remorse and regret. Whereas younger children were more self-oriented with siblings and other-oriented with friends, accounts of harm across relationships became somewhat more similar with age. Results provide insight into how these two relationships serve as distinct contexts for sociomoral development.

matched on Morals (mesh)