Dataset for: Assessing Moral Judgment Maturity using the Sociomoral Reflection Measure – Short Form Objective

The Sociomoral Reflection Measure – Short Form Objective (SRM-SFO) aims to assess the reasoning and valuing components of moral judgment. A new index for measuring moral reasoning is introduced. The first study assessed construct validity by examining the structure and invariance of moral reasoning and moral value evaluation in community adolescents and adults from The Netherlands (N = 1,583). Factor analyses supported the unidimensionality of both components. Measurement invariance was found across age groups, gender, and educational levels. Convergent validity was supported by positive relationships between moral reasoning and age in males and between moral reasoning and higher educational levels. Divergent validity was supported by the weak relationship of both components with social desirability and their negative relationship with self-centered orientation and self-reported antisocial/delinquent behavior. The second study included incarcerated juvenile delinquents (N = 246). Measurement invariance was found for both components across delinquency groups. Furthermore, community participants reporting no antisocial/delinquent behavior showed higher levels on both components than community participants reporting antisocial/delinquent behavior and juvenile delinquents. The SRM-SFO provides acceptable to good psychometric properties for assessing the reasoning and valuing components of moral judgment. Its practical benefits support its use in large-scale research from young adolescence onward.The SRM-SFO consists of 10 sets of questions. Each set introduces a value, often in an everyday context (Appendix). The values are organized in four areas: Contract & Truth (item set 1-4), Affiliation (5), Life (6-7), Property, Law, and Legal Justice (8-10). Following the introductory stem is a question regarding the evaluation of the importance of a certain value (like ‘keeping promises’) and subsequently questions for reasoning or justification for support of the importance of that value.