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  • © 2013

Handbook of Moral Motivation

Theories, Models, Applications

  • The volume offers a unique updated, cross-disciplinary appraisal of the age old question 'what motivates people to do good and to prevent the bad?', a question with burning relevance to a world which is often accused of having lost its sense of truth and goodness, and hence being on a path of self-destruction."

Part of the book series: Moral Development and Citizenship Education (MORA, volume 1)

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Table of contents (34 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-viii
    1. Introduction

      • Karin Heinrichs, Fritz Oser, Terence Lovat
      Pages 1-5
    2. Models of Moral Motivation

      • Fritz Oser
      Pages 7-24
  2. Foundations of Moral Motivation

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 25-25
    2. Moral Motivation and the Four Component Model

      • Stephen J. Thoma, Muriel J. Bebeau
      Pages 49-67
    3. Deontic and Responsibility Judgments

      • Gerhard Minnameier
      Pages 69-82
    4. Motivation as the Readiness to Act on Moral Commitments

      • Theresa A. Thorkildsen
      Pages 83-96
  3. Motivational Theory and Moral Motivation

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 97-97
    2. How Different Motivational Aspects can Affect Moral Behaviour

      • Regina Vollmeyer, Konstanze Jenderek, Tahmine Tozman
      Pages 141-157
    3. Justice as a Moral Motive

      • Anna Baumert, Tobias Rothmund, Nadine Thomas, Mario Gollwitzer, Manfred Schmitt
      Pages 159-179
    4. Temporal Construal and Moral Motivation

      • Jens Agerström, Fredrik Björklund
      Pages 181-193
  4. Moral Self, Identity and Moral Motivation

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 195-195
    2. The Self and the Management of the Moral Life

      • Augusto Blasi
      Pages 229-248
  5. Developmental Effects, Emotions and Moral Motivation

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 265-265

About this book

The Handbook of Moral Motivation offers a contemporary and comprehensive appraisal of the age-old question about motivation to do the good and to prevent the bad. From a research point of view, this question remains open even though we present here a rich collection of new ideas and data. Two sources helped the editors to frame the chapters: first they looked at an overwhelmingly fruitful research tradition on motivation in general (attribution theory, performance theory, self-determination theory, etc.) in relationship to morality. The second source refers to the tension between moral judgment (feelings, beliefs) and the real moral act in a twofold manner: (a) as a necessary duty, and, (b) as a social but not necessary bond. In addition, the handbook utilizes the latest research from a wide range of disciplinary perspectives, wishing to suggest by this that the answer to the posed question will likely not come from one discipline alone. Furthermore, our hope is that the implicit criticism that the narrowly constructed research approach of the recent past has contributed to closing off rather than opening up interdisciplinary lines of research becomes in this volume a strong counter discourse. The editors and authors of the handbook commend the research contained within in the hope that it will contribute to better understanding of humanity as an inherently moral species.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Goethe-University Frankfurt, Germany

    Karin Heinrichs

  • University of Fribourg, Switzerland

    Fritz Oser

  • University of Newcastle, Australia

    Terence Lovat

  • University of Oxford, UK

    Terence Lovat

Bibliographic Information

Societies and partnerships

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 49.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access