Who Cares More About Having Moral Traits? Evidence From 67 Countries

Abstract

The self-importance of moral identity reflects the relevance of possessing moral traits as part of self (internalization) and of being seen by others as moral (symbolization). We examined gender, age, and cultural differences in both components across 67 countries using Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and Uz’s tightness–looseness indices. We fit linear mixed-effects models with individuals nested within countries. Women scored higher than men on internalization and symbolization, and age showed small, positive within-country associations with both components of moral identity. Symbolization was higher in countries characterized by greater power distance, stronger collectivism (lower individualism), and greater masculinity – but only among younger participants. Symbolization was also higher in culturally tighter contexts, but only when tightness–looseness was indexed using a combination index. Internalization was higher in countries with lower power distance, stronger collectivism (lower individualism), and lower uncertainty avoidance. Its association with tightness–looseness depended on operationalization: internalization was higher in culturally tighter countries on the domain-general and combination indices, but lower in tighter countries on the domain-specific index. Overall, these findings provide a cross-national portrait of the self-importance of moral identity, revealing robust demographic gradients and component-specific cultural patterns in how people value moral traits privately and in social self-presentation.