Recognition-Based Measures of Ethical Sensitivity and Reformulated Cognitive Moral Development: An Examination and Evidence of Nomological Validity

Because most prominent theories of ethical decisionmaking posit that the process begins with anindividual's recognition of the ethical issuesinherent in a decision situation, and is followed bysome degree of individual cognitive processing, theconstructs ethical sensitivity and cognitive moraldevelopment assume great importance in the study ofbusiness ethics. Two recent developments in theethics literature suggest that these two constructswarrant additional examination. First, is the use ofrecognition-based measures of ethical sensitivity;second is the development of a new index for theprincipal measure of cognitive moral development, theDefining Issues Test. In this paper, the authorsexamine issues of nomological validity related tothese two constructs in light of these recentdevelopments. Results of an empirical study showstrong support for the new index of cognitive moraldevelopment, but likely because of samplecharacteristics, support for the ethical sensitivitymeasure is inconclusive.