What This Test Measures
Why do thoughtful, decent people disagree so strongly about right and wrong? Moral Foundations Theory suggests that people build their moral views on several different intuitions, and give each one a different weight. This test measures six of them.
| Foundation | Concerned with | Triggered by |
|---|---|---|
| Care | Protecting others from harm | Suffering, cruelty, vulnerability |
| Fairness | Justice, equal rules, reciprocity | Cheating, freeloading, unequal treatment |
| Loyalty | Standing by your group | Betrayal, disloyalty |
| Authority | Respect for legitimate order and tradition | Disrespect, rule-breaking |
| Sanctity | Purity, dignity, the sacred | Degradation, things seen as disgusting |
| Liberty | Freedom from domination | Bullying, oppression, control |
How The Test Works And How It Is Scored
You rate 30 statements, five for each foundation, from “Strongly disagree” to “Strongly agree”. Each answer scores 0 to 4, and each foundation is shown as a percentage. You get a short reading for every foundation, based on whether your score is high, middle or low.
| Score on a foundation | Reading |
|---|---|
| 65% and above | High: a core part of your moral outlook |
| 41% to 64% | Middle: important, balanced against others |
| 40% and below | Low: plays a smaller role in your judgements |
Sample statement (Liberty): “Governments too often interfere in people’s private lives.” Strong agreement adds 4 points to Liberty.
All statements were written by PrismaTest. They follow the published theory but are not taken from the official Moral Foundations Questionnaire.
The Model Behind It
Moral Foundations Theory was developed in the 2000s by social psychologists Jonathan Haidt, Craig Joseph, Jesse Graham and colleagues. It was popularised in Haidt’s book The Righteous Mind (2012). The theory began with five foundations; Liberty was added later as a sixth. In 2023, a revised version split Fairness into Equality and Proportionality.
What The Research Says
Studies using the official questionnaire, with hundreds of thousands of participants worldwide, have found consistent patterns:
- Political differences. In many countries, people on the political left tend to score higher on Care and Fairness (as equality), while people on the right tend to give more balanced weight to all foundations, including Loyalty, Authority and Sanctity.
- Cultural differences. Societies differ in which foundations they emphasise, with some placing more weight on community and tradition.
- Not a ranking. The theory does not say any profile is morally better. It describes how people reason.
The theory has critics. Some researchers question whether the foundations are truly separate or innate, and the measurement has been revised over time. It remains one of the most influential frameworks in moral psychology.
All Possible Results
There is no single result type. Your profile is the pattern across all six foundations. Some common patterns:
- Care and Fairness high, others lower: an individualist moral outlook focused on harm and equal treatment.
- All six fairly balanced: a community-focused outlook that also values loyalty, tradition and the sacred.
- Liberty very high: a strong focus on personal freedom and resistance to control, often found among libertarians.
- Loyalty and Authority high: a strong sense of duty to family, community and established order.
How To Read Your Result
- Find your highest two foundations. They are the values most likely to stir strong feelings in you.
- Look at your lowest foundation. Arguments based on it may not persuade you, but they may be very persuasive to others.
- Use it to understand disagreements. If someone you disagree with scores high on a foundation you score low on, you are probably not arguing about facts but about which values matter most.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the six moral foundations?
Care, Fairness, Loyalty, Authority, Sanctity and Liberty.
Who created Moral Foundations Theory?
Social psychologists Jonathan Haidt, Craig Joseph and Jesse Graham, among others, developed it in the 2000s.
Can this test tell my political views?
Foundation scores are linked to political views on average, but many individuals do not fit the pattern. This test describes values, not party loyalty.
Is one moral profile better than another?
No. The theory describes how people reason about morality without ranking one profile above another.
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For reflection on your values, not a psychological assessment. See how we build our tests.