Development and validation of the Moral Sensitivity Inventory for people with intellectual disabilities

Abstract

This article presents the Moral Sensitivity Inventory, a unique reading-free tool for evaluating the moral sensitivity of people with intellectual disability. Moral sensitivity, one of the four components of Rest’s Four Component Model of Morality (1994), is thought to influence moral behavior. The Moral Sensitivity Inventory is intended for people aged 16–30 years with mild or moderate intellectual disabilities. The Moral Sensitivity Inventory is comprised of 10 stories with pictures illustrating the aspects of morality, which are grouped into six categories: responsibility; respect for the common good and the property of other people; harming other people; seeking and seeing the good in others; conformance to principles and norms; understanding. The Moral Sensitivity Inventory identifies competences and gaps in moral sensitivity, which makes it a helpful tool for educating and social rehabilitation of people with intellectual disabilities. The overall reliability of the tool was .89 and the reliability of individual stories ranged from .87 to .90.