ABOUT THE LECTICAL ETHICAL REASONING ASSESSMENT*

The LERA is an assessment of ethical reasoning skills. If focuses on two aspects of ethical reasoning: the good (what we value) and the moral (what is right or just).

General information

For adolescents (12+) and adults

The LERA asks test-takers to write short essays about the good life, good citizenship, and what it means to be a good person. It then asks them to present their understanding of a recent personal ethical dilemma, then describe the factors they think are important to take into account when addressing the dilemma. Finally, they are asked to describe an "ideal" approach to "solving" the dilemma.

The LERA can be custiomized by changing the topic of the "good citizen" essay and/or replacing the personal dilemma with a standardized dilemma or a choice of several standardized dilemmas. For example, we have created a version of the assessment that replaces the "good citizen" essay with a "good leader" essay and offers one or more workplace ethical dilemmas in place of the personal dilemma. Contact us if you are interested in using a customized version of the LERA.

The LERA must be completed in a single sitting. Please ask clients to set aside an hour to complete the assessment. They should also carefully read the assessment instructions before they begin writing to ensure that they receive their best score and don't accidentally lose their work due to a lost internet connection.

Check it out

You can examine the LERA by logging on to the DTS site and choosing select an assessment, under the "take an assessment" item in the main menu on the left. You will need to enter information into the starred fields before you will be allowed to move from one page of the assessment to the next. Feel free to cut and paste blocks of random text into the essay fields.

Dilemmas

The essay questions in the LERA require test-takers to respond to a dilemma. Click on the tabs in the list below to explore avaialble dilemmas. (Note: Test-takers will not be allowed to select a dilemma that they have responded to in the past.)

We strongly recommend—in most cases—that you select the dilemma(s) you would like test-takers to use. There are a number of considerations that could inform your choices. We suggest that you discuss these with us before making your initial selections.

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Reliability and validity

The LERA, like all Lectical Assessments, reliably distinguishes 8–10 adult developmental phases, where each phase represents 1/4 of a developmental level. All Lectical Assessments have very similar levels of reliability, because they are scored with the same developmental assessment system, the LAS.

Lectical assessments address two broad forms of validity: construct validity and ecological validity. First, like all Lectical Assessments, the LERA is scored with the LAS, which is (1) based on a strong theory of development called Dynamic Skill Theory, and (2) has been submitted to a number of rigorous tests of its ability to capture the developmental construct described in that theory. These tests have shown that the LAS does a very good job capturing this dimension. To view the evidence, see the refereed papers under the articles tab on the articles page and articles by our colleagues on the moral judgment references page.

Second, the ecological validity of the LERA is apparent in the relevance of (1) its content—its questions and dilemmas are about real world thoughts, emotions, and experiences; (2) the skills required to complete it—skills for perspective-taking, clear thinking, communicating, and self-reflection; and (3) the scores and feedback provided in its reports.

To learn more about reliability and validity, see Dr. Dawson's blog.

Reports

Lectical assessments are distinguished by the accuracy of LAS scores and the quality of our feedback. Before we launch a Lectical Assessment, we carefully review the relevant research literature, then study how the skills and concepts targeted by the assessment develop over time, using a research methodology called developmental maieutics. The approach allows us to describe what targeted skills and concepts "look like" in each developmental phase, and to craft feedback and learning suggestions that are specific to each phase of performance.

In addition to general feedback related to the phase of a given performance, each LERA report includes personalized feedback, including comments on strengths and areas for growth and suggestions for learning and development.

Reports are generally delivered within 5–7 business days. We send an email notification each time an assessment is finalized.

View sample reports.

Resellers

If you are interested in using the LERA in your business or practice, please contact us for more information.

*You must be 18 or older to take this assessment without the supervision of a mentor, teacher, counselor, or physician who is registered with DTS.