MARISENS MODEL OF MORAL MATURITY

The model conceptualizes four statuses or categories of moral maturity. Statuse one which is the most mature statuse includes persons who are both morally wise and morally intelligent. Statuse two includes those who are morally wise but not morally intelligent. Statuse three includes those who are morally intelligent but not morally wise. Statuse four which is the least mature statuse includes those who are neither morally intelligent nor morally wise.

STATUSE 1

The morally wise and morally intelligent

This is the most mature statuse equivalent in orientation to Kohlbergs Post conventional morality. The persons elicit an inner locus of evaluation when making judgements. They are in touch with their organismic valuing process and are fully functioning persons who are prone to self actualize. There is a congruency between their moral reasoning/thought/judgement and their moral behaviour/actions. They display no cognitive dissonance neither are they adept to introjected behavioural traits. They are fully themselves and they are not affected by external valuing processes.

STATUSE 2

The morally wise but not morally intelligent

This category ranks second in moral maturity. Although there might be no contingency between moral thought and moral behaviour in these persons they display higher levels of moral behaviour which may not be consistent with their lower level of cognitive development. This is the category of those who display wisdom especially in primitive societies where there is no formal education. Given Kohlberg like dilemmas, they may be categorized as displaying lower levels of moral reasoning possibly due to their cognitive maturity but when it comes to their actions or behaviours, they display higher levels of moral maturity. This is the category of the wise, the sages in primitive societies who display higher levels of UBUNTHU in Afro-Malawian psychological terminology.

STATUSE 3

The morally intelligent but not morally wise

This statuse by virtue of its wanting in wisdom is ranked lower than the second statuse. In characteristics persons in this category display no contingency between moral reasoning or judgement and moral behaviour or actions. They display higher levels of cognitive development and reasoning and may elicit abstract thought processing akin to Piagets formal operations but when it comes to moral behaviour there is a substantial inconsistency. Their behaviour is not contingent with their level of cognition. These may be denoted intelligent fools. There is often cognitive dissonance or a weak link between their moral thought processes and subsequent moral behaviour. This is the category that is adept to risk taking behaviours and personal fables indulging in alcoholism, promiscuity, drug abuse and such other negative behaviours irrespective of their grounded knowledge of the plausible dangers of such. The category may include medical doctors who irrespective of their professional training may still be heavy smokers or alcoholics or may indulge in unprotected multiple and concurrent sexual debuts contrary to their training and exposure to the dangers of such conduct. The category may also include lawyers or legal practitioners who are caught up in criminal behaviors contrary to their professional training. The persons in this category may elicit introjected personalities and poor valuing processes and may not be their full authentic selves.

STATUSE 4

The not morally intelligent and not morally wise

This is the least mature statuse. The category of the amoral. The persons elicit no streak of moral reasoning or moral wisdom. This is the category that lacks the psychological phenomena of UBUNTHU in Afro-Malawian psychology. They may not only be intellectually challenged and daft but also morally inept and remorseless. They are adept to criminality because of their moral disposition. In Kohlbergs conceptualization, they may elicit the egoism and hedonism typical of pre-conventional morality. The love for pleasure and the here and now orientation/philosophy predisposes them to criminal behaviour.

BY MARISEN MAESTRO MWALE [LECTURER IN PSYCHOLOGY- MZUZU UNIVERSITY]

M Ed [UNIMA] B Ed [UNIMA] Fellow [COM/CDC/PEPFAR]