The Four Component Model of Morality: Implications for Pharmacy Education
Associate Professor David A. Latif M.B.A. and Ph.D.pages: 15 - 33
- DOI: 10.1300/J060v10n02_02
- Version of record first published: 26Nov2003
Abstract:
A major component of the provision of pharmaceutical care revolves around ethical decision making. As pharmacy practice becomes more patient centered, the potential for ethical dilemmas increases. This paper uses Rest's Four Component Model of Morality as a theoretical framework to suggest that the production of moral behavior is complex and entails at least four distinct psychological processes: moral sensitivity, moral judgment, moral motivation, and moral character and implementation. Implications of the model for pharmacy education, including potential educational goals, strategies, and assessments of each component, are discussed. The limitations and criticisms of Cognitive Moral Development Theory are also discussed.