Gender Disparities in Moral Values, Interpersonal Reactivity and Decision-making Styles in Indian Working Adults

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21306315

Nayana Nair, Haspreet Kaur, Shreya Rathi, Devika Harish Kumar, Ruchi Dubey Chaturvedi, and Freyana Shinde (Department of Psychology, Jai Hind College, (Empowered Autonomous), Mumbai, Maharashtra)

The complex interplay between an individual’s Moral values, Interpersonal Reactivity, and Decision-making styles guides decisions under different contextual situations. The present study aims to understand this interplay among the working population of India. A sample of 100 working professionals (51 males, 49 females), aged 20 to 40 years, were selected using purposive sampling. Tools used were Moral Foundations Questionnaire (Harm/Care, & Ingroup/Loyalty), Interpersonal Reactivity Index (Empathic concern & Personal Distress), and General Decision-Making Styles Questionnaire (Dependent/Systemic). Correlational analysis revealed two significant correlations for males: In-group/Loyalty showed a significant positive correlation with Dependent and Systemic decision-making sub-scales. Males might be seeking more inputs from ingroup members. For females, four significant correlations appeared: In-group/loyalty was significantly negatively correlated with Empathic Concern. Further, Empathic concern was significantly positively correlated to Personal Distress, which was also significantly positively correlated to the Dependent decision-making style. Thus, females observed high Empathic concern, high personal distress, and exhibited Dependent decision-making style. High Ingroup/Loyalty in females might be making them show decreased Empathic concern for outgroup members. The independent samples t-test revealed one significant difference: females exhibited higher care orientation in the Harm/Care sub-scale. This falls in line with research where females are socialized for nurturant and caring roles. It is important to psycho-educate individuals to understand themselves and deal with situations effectively. Overall, this study provided insight into understanding the influence of gender and culture in shaping views on morality, interpersonal reactivity, and decision-making styles.