Bridging the CNI model and neo-Kohlbergian approach to moral judgment

This study investigates the relationship between the Rest’s neo-Kohlbergian approach to moral reasoning and the CNI model of utilitarian-deontological decision-making. Drawing on a sample of adult participants, we examined how individual differences in moral schema adoption—Postconventional (PC), Maintaining Norms (MN), and Personal Interest (PI)—correlate with the three CNI dimensions: Sensitivity to Consequences, Sensitivity to Norms, and Preference for Inaction. Significant linear relationships emerged: PC schema positively correlated with Consequence Sensitivity, MN schema positively with Norm Sensitivity but negatively with Consequence Sensitivity, and PI schema negatively with Norm Sensitivity. A curvilinear pattern was found between MN schema and Consequence Sensitivity, with higher MN adoption initially predicting lower Consequence Sensitivity, but reversing among participants who heavily prioritized MN reasoning. The results underscore the distinct ways in which moral schemas shape sensitivity to moral norms and outcomes, suggesting that PC reasoning may operate more holistically and flexibly than is captured by the CNI model. The study contributes to a more integrated understanding of moral judgment by linking cognitive-developmental and psychological process-oriented approaches.