Date of Award

7-1-1996

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Counseling Psychology & Community Services

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine trends in moral orientation among law students at a small midwestern law school. A second purpose was to examine self-silencing of moral perspective in these law students. Moral orientation was assessed at the onset of the participants' legal study (Time 1) and at the end of their second academic year (Time 2) using the Relationship Self Inventory. Self-silencing was assessed at Time 2 only, using the Silencing the Self Scale.Results provide some support for gender difference in moral orientation. Women law students scored significantly higher on Self and Other Care, a manifestation of the care-orientation, at Time 1 and Time 2. In addition, an interaction effect (Gender x Time) was found for Connected Self, an overarching measure of the care-orientation. Post hoc t-tests on the interaction effect revealed males scored significantly lower at Time Two than at Time One, and the change in males on Connected Self was significantly greater than the change in females. No main effects for Gender or Time were found for Connected Self. No main effects for Gender or Time were found for Separate Self, a measure of justice reasoning. No gender difference was found for self-silencing, although silencing the self was significantly correlated with Primacy of Other Care, a second manifestation of the care-orientation.

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