Journals / Türk Din Psikolojisi Dergisi / 2026 / Sayı: 13

The Relationship Between Moral Courage and Spiritual Well-Being: A Quantitative Study Among University Students

Ahlaki Cesaret ile Manevi İyi Oluş Arasındaki İlişki: Üniversite Öğrencileri Üzerine Nicel Bir Araştırma

Kübra Torun(KASTAMONU ÜNİVERSİTESİ, İLAHİYAT FAKÜLTESİ)0009-0008-2548-6357
Çiğdem Gülmez(KASTAMONU ÜNİVERSİTESİ, İLAHİYAT FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0001-6865-8464
Pages
151–184
Publication Date
2026-06-30
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗
✨

AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Overall, the findings indicate that spiritual well-being is related to the tendency to display courage in morally risky situations; nevertheless, this relationship remains limited to low-level correlations.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Moral courage refers to an individual’s capacity to act in accordance with what has been believed to be right while remaining committed to ethical principles despite social pressure, external threat, or personal risk.
📊
Key Findings & Data:Designed as a quantitative correlational survey, the research was conducted with 339 students enrolled in the Faculties of Education, Theology, Humanities and Social Sciences, Communication, and Engineering at Kastamonu University.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:Overall, the findings indicate that spiritual well-being is related to the tendency to display courage in morally risky situations; nevertheless, this relationship remains limited to low-level correlations.
🔬Design:Survey & Empirical Study
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Din psikolojisi · Ahlaki cesaret · Manevi iyi oluş

Abstract

Moral courage refers to an individual’s capacity to act in accordance with what has been believed to be right while remaining committed to ethical principles despite social pressure, external threat, or personal risk. From the perspective of the psychology of religion, this capacity is associated with the ability to develop ethical judgment that is congruent with religious beliefs and spiritual value orientations, and to transform internalized values into action under demanding conditions. Spiritual well-being is conceptualized as a multidimensional structure that includes the individual’s relations of meaning, integrity, and orientation with the self, others, nature, and the transcendent. This article examined the relational patterns between spiritual well-being and moral courage among university students. Designed as a quantitative correlational survey, the research was conducted with 339 students enrolled in the Faculties of Education, Theology, Humanities and Social Sciences, Communication, and Engineering at Kastamonu University. Data were collected using the Moral Courage Scale and the Spiritual Well-Being Scale; descriptive statistics, multivariate analyses of variance, and Pearson correlation analysis were employed. The findings showed that moral courage was positively associated at a low level with the transcendence and harmony with nature subdimensions of spiritual well-being, and negatively associated at a low level with the anomie subdimension. Moral timidity was not significantly related to the subdimensions of spiritual well-being. No significant differences were found in the moral courage subdimensions according to gender or subjective religiosity perception; however, significant faculty-based differences were identified in moral timidity. In terms of spiritual well-being, female students had higher scores than male students on transcendence and harmony with nature, whereas no significant gender-based difference was observed in anomie. Theology students had significantly higher transcendence scores than students from other faculties, and higher levels of subjective religiosity were accompanied by higher scores on transcendence and harmony with nature. Overall, the findings indicate that spiritual well-being is related to the tendency to display courage in morally risky situations; nevertheless, this relationship remains limited to low-level correlations. Therefore, the link between spiritual well-being and moral courage should be examined more deeply within the psychology of religion, especially through causal, developmental, cultural, and institutional dimensions, and should be retested in different samples with particular attention to ethical education processes.

Özet

Ahlaki cesaret, bireyin sosyal baskı, dışsal tehdit ya da kişisel risk karşısında etik ilkelere bağlı kalarak doğru olduğuna inandığı davranışı sergileyebilme kapasitesini ifade etmektedir. Din psikolojisi açısından bu kapasite, dini inançlar ve manevi değer yönelimleriyle uyumlu etik muhakeme geliştirme, değerleri yalnızca içselleştirmekle kalmayıp zorlayıcı koşullarda eyleme dönüştürme yeterliğiyle ilişkilidir. Manevi iyi oluş ise bireyin kendisiyle, başkalarıyla, doğayla ve aşkın olanla kurduğu anlam, bütünlük ve yönelim ilişkisini içeren çok boyutlu bir yapı olarak değerlendirilmektedir. Bu makalede, üniversite öğrencilerinde manevi iyi oluş ile ahlaki cesaret arasındaki ilişkisel örüntüler incelenmiştir. Nicel ilişkisel tarama deseninde yürütülen çalışmanın örneklemini, Kastamonu Üniversitesi eğitim, ilahiyat, insan ve toplum bilimleri, iletişim ve mühendislik fakültelerinde öğrenim gören 339 öğrenci oluşturmuştur. Veriler Ahlaki Cesaret Ölçeği ve Spiritüel İyi Oluş Ölçeği aracılığıyla toplanmış; analiz sürecinde betimsel istatistikler, çok değişkenli varyans analizleri ve Pearson korelasyon analizi kullanılmıştır. Bulgular, ahlaki cesaretin manevi iyi oluşun aşkınlık ve doğayla uyum alt boyutlarıyla düşük düzeyde pozitif; anomi alt boyutuyla düşük düzeyde negatif ilişkili olduğunu göstermiştir. Ahlaki çekingenliğin manevi iyi oluş alt boyutlarıyla anlamlı ilişki göstermediği saptanmıştır. Cinsiyet ve öznel dindarlık algısına göre ahlaki cesaret alt boyutlarında anlamlı farklılık bulunmamış; buna karşılık ahlaki çekingenlik boyutunda fakülteler arasında anlamlı farklılık belirlenmiştir. Manevi iyi oluş açısından kadın öğrencilerin aşkınlık ve doğayla uyum puanlarının erkek öğrencilerden daha yüksek olduğu, anomi boyutunda ise cinsiyete bağlı anlamlı farklılık bulunmadığı görülmüştür. İlahiyat fakültesi öğrencilerinin aşkınlık puanları diğer fakültelere kıyasla anlamlı biçimde daha yüksek bulunmuş; öznel dindarlık düzeyi arttıkça aşkınlık ve doğayla uyum puanlarının da yükseldiği belirlenmiştir. Sonuç olarak ampirik bulgular, manevi iyi oluşun ahlaki risk içeren durumlarda cesaret gösterme eğilimiyle ilişkili olduğunu; ancak bu ilişkinin düşük düzeyli korelasyonlarla sınırlı kaldığını göstermektedir. Bu nedenle manevi iyi oluş ile ahlaki cesaret arasındaki bağın din psikolojisi bağlamında nedensel, gelişimsel, kültürel ve kurumsal boyutlarıyla, özellikle etik eğitim süreçleri açısından daha derinlikli incelenmesi; farklı örneklemlerde yeniden test edilmesi gerekmektedir.

🔖

Cite This Article

Torun, K., Gülmez, Ç. (2026). The Relationship Between Moral Courage and Spiritual Well-Being: A Quantitative Study Among University Students. Türk Din Psikolojisi Dergisi, Sayı: 13, 151–184. https://doi.org/10.59379/tdpd.1789237

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

📄

PDF görüntüleyici hazırlanıyor...

References (69)

  1. Abdeen, M. A & Attia, N. M (2020). Ethical work climate, moral courage, moral distress and organizational citizenship behavioramong nurses. International Journal of Nursing Education, 12(3), 104-110.
  2. Abdollahi, R., Ghasemianrad, M., Hosseinian-Far, A., Rasoulpoor, S., Salari, N. & Mohammadi, M. (2024). Nurses' moral courage and related factors: A systematic review. Applied Nursing Research, 75, 1-9.
  3. Abdollahzadeh, H. & Shadin, N. (2020). Effectiveness of spiritual self-care training on nurses' self-compassion and moral courage. Journal of Research in Behavioural Sciences, 18(3), 393-402.
  4. Almaraz, D., Sáiz, J., Baumann, K., & Martín, M. (2024). The role of spiritual well-being in Spanish cancer patients: Exploring the relationship between health, religiosity and spirituality, and the underlying psychosocial and behavioral pathways. The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 34, 154-171.
  5. Alshehri, F. A. H., & Elsaied, M. (2022). The mediating effect of moral courage in the relationship between virtuous leadership and moral voice. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 43(2), 315-330.
  6. Atik, D., Keşer, E., Yuce, U. & Güngör, S. (2024). Spiritual well-being, disease perception, and disease adaptation in diabetic patients in southern Turkey: A cross-sectional study. Cureus, 16(6), 1-11.
  7. Aydın, R. Ş., Sarıçam, H. & Yıldırım, B. (2024). Hayata nasıl bakıyoruz: Özgür irade ve spiritüel iyi olma. Avrasya Uluslararası Araştırmalar Dergisi, 12(39), 216-241.
  8. Ayling, D. (2006). Fostering moral courage: What do business students learn about professional ethics in cooperative education placements?. New Zealand Association for Cooperative Education Annual Conference (Queenstown, 27-28 Nisan 2006), (ss. 116-120).
  9. Azizi, Z., Naghizadeh, M. M. & Bijani, M. (2024). The relationship between moral courage, teamwork, and safe nursing care in clinical nurses: A multicenter cross-sectional study in Iran. BMC Nursing, 23(1), 1-8.
  10. Bahadır-Yılmaz, E., Şahin, M. & Yüksel, A. (2022). Spiritual well-being and psychological well-being among hemodialysis patients in Turkey: A descriptive and correlational study. Journal of Religion and Health, 62(6), 4347-4362.
  11. Bickhoff, L., Levett-Jones, T. & Sinclair, P. M. (2016). Rocking the boat-nursing students' stories of moral courage: A qualitative descriptive study. Nurse Education Today, 42, 35-40.
  12. Bolt, S., Metselaar, S., Versteeg, T. & Kröger, C. (2025). Addressing spirituality-related moral challenges in palliative care: perspectives of spiritual counselors. Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy, 31(4), 292-312.
  13. Bronstein, P., Fox, B. J., Kamon, J. L. & Knolls, M. L. (2007). Parenting and gender as predictors of moral courage in late adolescence: A longitudinal study. Sex Roles, 56, 661-674.
  14. Caldicott, C. V. (2023). Revisiting moral courage as an educational objective. Academic Medicine, 98(8), 873-875.
  15. Comer, D. R. & Schwartz, M. (2017). Highlighting moral courage in the business ethics course. Journal of Business Ethics, 146(4), 703-723.
  16. Durmuş, M. & Durar, E. (2022). The relationship between spiritual well-being and fear of COVID-19 among Turkish elders. Journal of Religion, Spirituality & Aging, 34(1), 3-16.
  17. Ekşi, H. & Kardaş, S. (2017). Spiritual well-being: scale development and validation. Spiritual Psychology and Counseling, 2(1), 73-88.
  18. Elhihi, E. A., Aljarary, K. L., Alahmadi, M., Adam, J. B., Almwualllad, O. A., Hawsawei, M. S.,. & Ibrahim, I. A. (2025). The mediating role of moral courage in the relationship between ethical leadership and error reporting behavior among nurses in Saudi Arabia: A structural equation modeling approach. BMC Nursing, 24(1), 392.
  19. Eren, M., Çelik, S., Celik, M., Yon, B. & Ozturk, F. (2023). Spiritual well-being, diabetes burden, self-management, and glycemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes in Turkey: A descriptive and correlational study. Journal of Religion and Health, 62(6), 4363-4381.
  20. Escolar-Chua, R. L. (2018). Moral sensitivity, moral distress, and moral courage among baccalaureate Filipino nursing students. Nursing Ethics, 25(4), 458-469.
  21. Fernando, M. & Chowdhury, R. (2010). The relationship between spiritual well-being and ethical orientations in decision making: An empirical study with business executives in Australia. Journal of Business Ethics, 95(2), 211-225.
  22. Fisher, J. W. (1998). Spiritual health: Its nature, and place in the school curriculum. (Doktora Tezi). The University of Melbourne.
  23. Fisher, J. W. (2010). Investigating the importance of relating with God for school students’ spiritual well‐being. Journal of Beliefs & Values, 31(3), 323-332.
  24. Gaskin-Wasson, A., Walker, K., Shin, L. & Kaslow, N. (2016). Spiritual well-being and psychological adjustment: Mediated by interpersonal needs? Journal of Religion and Health, 57(4), 1376-1391.
  25. Gencer, N., Tekgöz-Obuz, A. & Babahanoğlu, R. (2021). Üniversite öğrencilerinde spiritüel iyi oluş ve toplumsal cinsiyet algısı. Hitit İlahiyat Dergisi, 20(2), 717-750.
  26. Gibson, E., Duke, G. & Alfred, D. (2020). Exploring the relationships among moral distress, moral courage, and moral resilience in undergraduate nursing students. Journal of Nursing Education, 59(7), 392-395.
  27. Goyarrola, R., Lipsanen, J., Saarelainen, S., Suviranta, R., Rahko, E., Lamminmäki, A., Klaavuniemi, T., Ahtiluoto, S., Ohvanainen, A., Metso, P. & Pöyhiä, R. (2023). Spiritual well-being correlates with quality of life of both cancer and non-cancer patients in palliative care - further validation of EORTC QLQ-SWB32 in Finnish. BMC Palliative Care, 22(33), 1-13.
  28. Gültekin, A. & Budak, F. (2021). Does spiritual well-being affect medication adherence in individuals diagnosed with mental illness in Turkey? Journal of Religion and Health, 61, 64-78.
  29. Hannah, S. T., Avolio, B. J. & Walumbwa, F. O. (2011). Relationships between authentic leadership, moral courage, and ethical and pro-social behaviors. Business Ethics Quarterly, 21(4), 555–578.
  30. Hauhio, N., Leino-Kilpi, H., Katajisto, J. & Numminen, O. (2021). Nurses’ self-assessed moral courage and related socio-demographic factors. Nursing Ethics, 28(7-8), 1402-1415.
  31. Holt‐Lunstad, J., Steffen, P., Sandberg, J. & Jensen, B. (2011). Understanding the connection between spiritual well-being and physical health: An examination of ambulatory blood pressure, inflammation, blood lipids and fasting glucose. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 34(6), 477-488.
  32. Jones, C. S. (2019). On the holy ground: Practical spirituality and practical moral courage. [içinde] Practical spirituality and human development. Ed. A. K. Giri. (ss. 13-15). Palgrave Macmillan.
  33. Karasar, N. (2007). Bilimsel araştırma yöntemi: Kavramlar ilkeler teknikler (17. Baskı). Nobel Akademik Yayıncılık.
  34. Karataş, Z. & Selçuk, O. (2023). Üniversite öğrencilerinin manevi iyi oluşlarının açıklanmasında psikolojik esneklik ve çeşitli demografik değişkenlerin rolü. Üniversite Araştırmaları Dergisi, 6(1), 37-46.
  35. Karslı, N. (2021). İlahiyat fakültesi öğrencilerinde psikolojik iyi oluş ve dindarlık. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi, 53, 165-194.
  36. Kırca, K., Özveren, H. & Bağcı, S. (2023). Evaluation of the spiritual care needs of patients with cancer in a chemotherapy unit in Turkey. Journal of Religion and Health, 63(2), 1457-1474.
  37. Koskinen, S., Pajakoski, E., Fuster, P., Ingadottir, B., Löyttyniemi, E., Numminen, O.,. & ProCompNurse Consortium (2021). Analysis of graduating nursing students’ moral courage in six European countries. Nursing Ethics, 28(4), 481-497.
  38. Kreitzer, M. (2012). Spirituality and well-being. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 34(6), 707-711.
  39. Mansur, J., Sobral, F. & Islam, G. (2020). Leading with moral courage: the interplay of guilt and courage on perceived ethical leadership and group organizational citizenship behaviors. Business Ethics: A European Review, 29(3), 587-601.
  40. May, D. R., Luth, M. T. & Schwoerer, C. E. (2014). The influence of business ethics education on moral efficacy, moral meaningfulness, and moral courage: A quasi-experimental study. Journal of Business Ethics, 124(1), 67-80.
  41. Miller, R. (2005). Moral courage: Definition and development. Ethic Resource Center.
  42. Mohammadi, F., Tehranineshat, B., Ghasemi, A. & Bijani, M. (2022). A study of how moral courage and moral sensitivity correlate with safe care in special care nursing. The Scientific World Journal, 13, 1-8.
  43. Numminen, O., Repo, H. & Leino-Kilpi, H. (2017). Moral courage in nursing: a concept analysis. Nursing Ethics, 24(8), 878-891.
  44. Olmaz, D., Özden, G. & Parlar Kılıç, S. (2025). Beyond the physical realm: exploring the relationship between spiritual well-being and spiritual care competence. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, 15(4), 491-497.
  45. Pajakoski, E., Rannikko, S., Leino-Kilpi, H. & Numminen, O. (2021). Moral courage in nursing–an integrative literature review. Nursing & Health Sciences, 23(3), 570-585.
  46. Pakizekho, S. & Barkhordari-Sharifabad, M. (2022). The relationship between ethical leadership, conscientiousness, and moral courage from nurses’ perspective. BMC Nursing, 21(1), 164.
  47. Pelser, A. C. (2014). The courage of faith: Kierkegaardian reflection on the spiritual danger of enjoying finite goods. Philosophia Christi, 16(2), 377-393.
  48. Prasittichok, P., Jitprapaikulsarn, S., Sriprasertpap, K. & Hwang, G. J. (2024). Technological solutions to fostering students’ moral courage: An augmented reality-based contextual gaming approach. Cogent Education, 11(1), 1-12.
  49. Pulungan, A. H., Sari, K. J. A. T., Maharsi, S. & Hasudungan, A. (2021). Authentic leadership and whistleblowing: the mediating roles of trust and moral courage. Jurnal Kajian Akuntansi, 5(2), 265-289.
  50. Pür, İ. (2022). Üniversite öğrencilerinde dindarlık ve psikolojik iyi oluş arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi. Kilis 7 Aralık Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi, 9(1), 327-353.
  51. Restika, I., Saleh, A., Suarnianti & Haskas, Y. (2021). The effect of sex difference and gender role identity on moral courage: A study among clinical nurses. International Journal of Nursing and Health Services, 4(6), 631-636.
  52. Rokeach, M. (1973). The nature of human values. Free Press.
  53. Sadooghiasl, A., Parvizy, S. & Ebadi, A. (2018). Concept analysis of moral courage in nursing: A hybrid model. Nursing Ethics, 25(1), 6-19.
  54. Sawitri, H. S. R., Mayasari, D., Ayuninggar, L., & Harsono, M. (2021). Unethical pro-organizational behavior: The role of moral courage. Management Analysis Journal, 10(4), 426-433.
  55. Schwartz, S. H. (1992). Universals in the content and structure of values: Theory and empirical tests in 20 countries. [içinde] Advances in experimental social psychology-25. Ed. M. Zanna. (ss. 1-65). Academic Press.
  56. Serrat, O. (2017). Moral courage in organizations. [içinde] Knowledge solutions. (ss. 489-497). Springer.
  57. Soleimani, M., Sharif, S., Yaghoobzadeh, A., Sheikhi, M., Panarello, B. & Win, M. (2019). Spiritual well-being and moral distress among Iranian nurses. Nursing Ethics, 26(4), 1101-1113.
  58. Sultana, K., Ali, S., Aslam, H. & Afzal, S. (2020). Spiritual leadership, ethical, and philanthropic citizenship mediated by professional moral courage. Middle East J of Management, 10(5), 499-522.
  59. Sultana, K., Kitchlew, N. & Ali, S. A. (2023). Perceived ethical leadership and moral voice: mediating role of moral courage. International Journal of Business and Economic Affairs, 8(1), 26-42.
  60. Taghadosi, M., Nouri, H., Gilasi, H. R., Alipoor, Z. & Kashani-Nejad, A. A. (2020). Investigate the relationship between attitude and practical commitment to prayer with moral courage in nurses working in Kashan University of Medical Sciences. Journal of Kashan University of Medical Sciences, 23(6), 749-755.
  61. Talebian, F., Mojarad, F. A. & Yaghoubi, T. (2023). The relationship between religion orientation and moral courage: a study on nursing students. Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Sciences, 4, e139916.
  62. Taraz, Z., Loghmani, L., Abbaszadeh, A., Ahmadi, F., Safavibiat, Z. & Borhani, F. (2019). The relationship between ethical climate of hospital and moral courage of nursing staff. Electronic Journal of General Medicine, 16(2), 1-6.
  63. Twain, M. (2015). Moral courage of students qualifying to teach in special education. World, 2(2), 193-205.
  64. World Health Organization. (1946). Preamble to the constitution of the World Health Organization. International Health Conference (New York, 19-22 Haziran 1946), (s. 100). Official Records of the World Health Organization, No. 2.
  65. Yalçındağ, B. (2009). Relationships between courage, self-construals and other associated variables. (Yüksek Lisans Tezi). Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü.
  66. Yılmaz, Ö. (2019). Farklı okul türlerinde görev yapan öğretmenlerin spiritüel iyi oluş düzeyleri ile mutluluk düzeyleri arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi. (Yüksek Lisans Tezi). İstanbul Sabahattin Zaim Üniversitesi.
  67. Yousaf, I., Fatima, T. & Haider, A. (2020). Impact of ethical leadership on employees’ helping behavior: role of moral attentiveness and moral courage. International Review of Management and Business Research, 9(2), 193-206.
  68. Elhihi, E. A., Aljarary, K. L., Alahmadi, M., Adam, J. B., Almwualllad, O. A., Hawsawei, M. S.,. & Ibrahim, I. A. (2025). The mediating role of moral courage in the relationship between ethical leadership and error reporting behavior among nurses in Saudi Arabia: A structural equation modeling approach. BMC Nursing, 24(1), 392.
  69. Koskinen, S., Pajakoski, E., Fuster, P., Ingadottir, B., Löyttyniemi, E., Numminen, O.,. & ProCompNurse Consortium (2021). Analysis of graduating nursing students’ moral courage in six European countries. Nursing Ethics, 28(4), 481-497.