Developmental levels of sociomoral reasoning: German version of the Sociomoral Reflection Measure - Short form

Using standardized questionnaires for the assessment of individuals' developmental level of sociomoral reasoning is inappropriate in some research areas. Nonetheless these measures are often used in these contexts because interview procedures are highly expensive. Under such circumstances, questionnaires with an open response format Such as the Sociomoral Reflection Measure - Short Form (SRM-SF) developed by Gibbs, Basinger and Fuller (1992) provide a practicable alternative. I-or the SRM-SF good test statistical properties have been reported. The present study investigates whether the SRM-SF is applicable also to German students. A German version of the SRM-SF (SRM-SF-D) was developed and tested, In a sample of 350 adolescents (mean age 15.6 years) a sufficient internal consistency of the scale was obtained. There were statistically significant mean differences as a function of respondents' grade, type of schooling, and gender. Moreover, the SRM-SF-D differentiated between delinquent and nondelinquent adolescents and predicted right wing extremism among youths. Overall, results demonstrate that the SRM-SF-D is a reliable and valid measure of individuals' level of sociomoral reasoning that is much inure economical than any interview procedure.