mfq41.sps
May 12, 2007, by Jesse Graham

Use the blocks of syntax below to calculate scores for people who fill out the Moral Foundations Questionnaire.
This syntax is for SPSS, but you can adapt it for other programs.
It assumes that you used the variable names that are given in the MFQ_sample_spss_file that is also available on the 
MFQ webpage: http://faculty.virginia.edu/haidtlab/mf.html
It also assumes

First, make new variables that reverse the CRIME and BOOK items. The 2 lines below assume  that all items
were answered on a 0-5 scale, as on the paper version of the MFQ. If responses run from 1-6 instead, then you should
subtract the two reversed items from 6. 

COMPUTE CRIME_REV = 5 - CRIME.
COMPUTE BOOK_REV = 5 - BOOK.
execute.


Next, create average variables from the Relevance section (part 1):

COMPUTE HarmRel = MEAN(HARM,EMOTIONALLY,WEAK,CRUEL) .
COMPUTE FairnessRel = MEAN(RIGHTS,UNFAIRLY,TREATED,DOMINATE) .
COMPUTE IngroupRel  = MEAN(LOYALTY,BETRAY,YOURGROUP,COUNTRY) .
COMPUTE AuthorityRel = MEAN(DUTIES,TRADITIONS,RESPECT,CHAOS) .
COMPUTE PurityRel  = MEAN(DISGUSTING,DECENCY,DESIRES,GOD) .
execute.


Create variables from the Statements section (part 2):

COMPUTE HarmSta = MEAN(ANIMAL,KILL,COMPASSION,VICTIM) .
COMPUTE FairnessSta = MEAN(CRIME_REV,JUSTICE,FAIRLY,RICH) .
COMPUTE IngroupSta  = MEAN(TEAM,HISTORY,FAMILY,SHUTUP) .
COMPUTE AuthoritySta = MEAN(SEXROLES,SOLDIER,KIDRESPECT,BOOK_REV) .
COMPUTE PuritySta  = MEAN(HARMLESSDG,UNNATURAL,CHASTITY,TEMPLES) .
execute.



Average the two sections together to produce the 5 foundation scores, which run from 0 to 5.

COMPUTE HarmAvg = MEAN(HarmRel,HarmSta) .
COMPUTE FairnessAvg = MEAN(FairnessRel,FairnessSta) .
COMPUTE IngroupAvg = MEAN(IngroupRel,IngroupSta) .
COMPUTE AuthorityAvg = MEAN(AuthorityRel,AuthoritySta) .
COMPUTE PurityAvg = MEAN(PurityRel,PuritySta) .
execute.



Create an index variable for the differentiation between the first two foundations and the last three. (This difference score
is generally the strongest correlate of people's self-ratings of their political orientation. High numbers go with being liberal.) 

COMPUTE HFminusIAP = MEAN(HarmAvg,FairnessAvg) - MEAN(IngroupAvg,AuthorityAvg,PurityAvg) .
execute.

If you just need the names of the 41 variables for the MFQ 41, the names we use are:
ASTROLOGY
HARM
EMOTIONALLY
WEAK
CRUEL
RIGHTS
UNFAIRLY
TREATED
DOMINATE
LOYALTY
BETRAY
YOURGROUP
COUNTRY
DUTIES
TRADITIONS
RESPECT
CHAOS
DISGUSTING
DESIRES
DECENCY
GOD

ANIMAL
KILL
COMPASSION
VICTIM
CRIME
JUSTICE
FAIRLY
RICH
TEAM
HISTORY
FAMILY
SHUTUP
SEXROLES
SOLDIER
KIDRESPECT
BOOK
HARMLESSDG
UNNATURAL
CHASTITY
TEMPLES