Moral judgment competence of medical students: a transcultural study

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2013

Authors

Feitosa, HN (Author) Other; Rego, S (Author) Other; Raphael Bataglia, PUR (Author) Other; Castelo Branco Sancho, KFCB (Author) Other; Guilhermina Rego (Author) FMUP; Rui Nunes (Author) FMUP

Journal

Title: Advances in Health Sciences Education

Vol. 18 No. 3

Pages: 1067-1085

ISSN: 1382-4996

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 16 Citations

Scopus - 22 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-006-JDW

DOI: 10.1007/s10459-013-9449-5

Abstract (EN): The authors conducted a cross-sectional short-term study using Lind's Moral Judgment Test (MJT) to compare moral judgment competence (C-score) among students from a medical school in the Northeast region of Brazil and a medical school in the Northern region of Portugal. This study compares the C-scores of groups in the first and eighth semesters of study within each medical school and groups from corresponding semesters between the two medical schools. This study also evaluates the influence of such factors as age and gender on moral competence. A regression of moral judgment competence among the students in their eighth semester versus the students in the first semester of Brazilian medical school (p < 0.001) and a stagnation of moral competence among students in their eighth semester versus the first semester students in the Portuguese medical school (p = 0.06) were observed. For both the first semester and eighth semester groups, the students in the Portuguese medical school had higher C-scores than the students in the Brazilian medical school. In the analysis of the students' performances in terms of MJT dilemmas, the phenomenon of "moral segmentation" was observed in all of the groups, and the students performed better on the worker's dilemma than on the doctor's dilemma. Among students in the same semester of study, older students had lower C-scores. There was generally no significant difference between men's and women's C-scores.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 19