Testing psychometrics of the Moral Foundations Questionnaire-2 (MFQ-2) among pre-service teachers in Ghana

Abstract Moral Foundations Theory (MFT) has become one of the most recognized theories in moral psychology. Atari et al. ( Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 125 (5), 1157–1188, 2023) answer the call for a cross-culturally valid instrument to measure moral foundations with the Moral Foundations Questionnaire-2 (MFQ-2). We evaluate the psychometric quality of the MFQ-2 in Ghana, a non-WEIRD country ( N = 1,049). Following the PROMIS plan (Reeve et al., Medical Care, 45 (5), S22–S31, 2007), we assess traditional descriptive statistics in item and scale analysis, Item Response Theory assumptions (IRT), Graded Response Models (GRM) item fit, and Differential Item Functioning (DIF) due to age, gender, religion, and religiosity. While problems occur with traditional descriptive statistical analyses, IRT assumptions are mostly given, GRM item fits are seen as slightly problematic, and items generally display no DIF. The purity scale harbors numerous challenges in terms of validity. To ensure high-quality results across cultures, the instrument needs to be revised or adapted to specific cultures.