Measuring Moral Foundations in Vietnam: Insights from the Application of Moral Foundations Theory

This study evaluates the applicability of the Moral Foundation Questionnaire 32 scale (MFQ 32), based on Moral Foundations Theory (MFT), in the Vietnamese context. Data from 531 adults were analyzed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and Cronbach’s alpha reliability tests. Results indicate that, after removing several problematic items, the five moral foundations—Care, Fairness, Loyalty, Authority, and Purity—demonstrated acceptable internal consistency. However, the five-factor CFA model exhibited suboptimal. Additionally, significant differences in moral foundations were observed across residential regions, educational levels, and occupations, while gender and ethnicity showed no statistically significant variation. The MFQ-32 shows initial potential for application in Vietnam but requires cultural adaptation to better align with local sociocultural characteristics.