Psychological Foundations of Principled Behaviour
Insights from a Path Analytic Model
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22006975 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Nurseven Kılıç (0000-0001-8724-7564, Ankara University, corresponding author), Mine Yiğiter (0000-0003-4797-207X, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University), Ayşe Aypay (0000-0001-5292-4270, Eskişehir Osmangazi University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | SAGE Open (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2158-2440 • E-ISSN: 2158-2440 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/21582440261458531 |
| OpenAlex | W7164806352 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 55 |
This study explores the psychological foundations of principled behaviour (actions aligned with moral principles and values), focusing on psychological resilience, general self-efficacy, and meaning in life. A path analytic model was tested using cross-sectional data collected from 410 university students (63.4% men, 36.6% women; M = 20.7 years, SD = 2.71) enrolled at a public university in Turkey. Data were gathered through self-report questionnaires administered during class sessions after obtaining institutional ethics approval and participants’ informed consent. SEM-based path analyses suggest that psychological resilience positively predicted general self-efficacy (β = .49, p p p p p 2 /df = 2.94, CFI = 0.962, TLI = 0.951, RMSEA = 0.068, SRMR = 0.047). While the cross-sectional design limits causal interpretation, the study offers a theory-informed framework that may guide future longitudinal research. These findings contribute to understanding the psychological mechanisms underlying moral functioning and provide implications for values education, character development, and ethical decision-making among young adults
Causal model · Meaning-making · Moral development · Psychological resilience · Structural equation modeling · Ethics in Business and Education · Resilience and Mental Health · Values and Moral Education
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Is General Self-Efficacy a Universal Construct?1
Convergence of Structural Equation Modeling and Multilevel Modeling
Psychological Resilience
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The Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Brief Resilient Coping Scale
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| Highly cited | No |
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