Mediating Role of Ethical Metacognition in Relationship between Personality and Ethical Behaviors

Background: morality and moral behavior are important aspects of individual and community health. Therefore, understanding the factors that influence the conduct of moral behaviors can be a step towards increasing moral behaviors and reducing immoral behaviors. Accordingly, the present study aimed to investigate the causal relationship between personality dimensions and moral behaviors through mediating moral metacognition. Method: The present research is a descriptive-correlational study. For this purpose, 524 undergraduate students of Yasuj Universities were selected by multi-stage random sampling method. In this study, three questionnaires including Big Five Personality Inventory, Moral Metacognition Scale and Moral Behavior Inventory were used. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results: The results showed that neuroticism, conscientiousness, and openness to experience were predictors of moral metacognition and extroversion, agreeableness, neuroticism and conscientiousness were predictors of moral behavior. Indirect paths were significant from three dimensions of personality including openness to experience, neuroticism, and conscientiousness to moral behaviors through moral metacognition. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that personality dimensions through ethical metacognition can result to moral behaviors.