Adolescents' limited eclectic personal ethics and heuristic ways of resolving moral problems

Abstract

Ethical theories are key principles that determine right decisions and actions in morally problematic situations. Using phenomenological method of data collection, explication, and interpretative, the adolescent interviewees in this study revealed the essential nature, structure, content, and meaning of their personal moral beliefs and other determinants in resolving moral problems. The phenomenological analysis of data uncovered six (6) themes: (1) tapping traits characteristically; (2) experiencing the morality of a problem; (3) influencing factors from the local contexts, (4) wielding to one's advantage personal moral beliefs (PMBs), (5) externalizing moral reflectiveness when utilizing PMBs, and, (6) disclosing moral consistency in applying PMBs. The phenomenological theme indicated that youth participants' personal moral convictions and related factors guided them to resolve reflectively, consistently and heuristically their ethical problems. The overall finding implies the need to focus more on individual adolescents' limited eclectic personal ethics and associated life aspects for the development of holistic societal members.