ABSTRACT
Self-identity has also been shown to be both situationally contingent and instrumental in moral evaluation and behaviour. The relationship between interdependence and identity between an individual and a group becomes the explanatory domain within which evolutionary instincts are interwoven with situational attributes. Each of the virtue categories investigated by Peterson and Seligman is defined in terms of distinct psychological attributes. Each category is found to be associated with contribution to both self and collective positivity. By practising virtuous behaviour, one reduces the devaluation of those in out-groups and widens the 'circle of moral regard'. This follows from the inclusion of justice and transcendence within virtue categories. The motivation to maintain a positive self-image enables the suppression of the acknowledgement of other conventionally morally deviant behaviours such as lying, dishonesty and more. Collectivist cultural values have been found to moderate the reaction of members to the behaviour of leaders, that is to say, the powerful.
