Ohio State nav bar

Dr. John Gibbs

Dr. John Gibbs

Dr. John Gibbs

Professor, Developmental

gibbs.1@osu.edu

(614) 292-7918

237 Psychology Building
1835 Neil Ave.
Columbus, OH.
43210

Google Map

Professional Website

Education

  • PhD Harvard University

My interests pertain to cross-cultural sociomoral development, parental socialization, empathy, prosocial behavior, and antisocial behavior. I have, with students and colleagues, developed assessment measures of moral judgment, moral identity, social perspective-taking, self-serving cognitive distortions, and social skills. We have also converted our sociomoral treatment program, EQUIP, into a prevention program for middle and high school students. My textbook, Moral Development & Reality: Beyond the Theories of Kohlberg, Hoffman, and Haidt, is published by Oxford University Press (see flyer page 1 and flyer page 2).

Selected Recent Publications

Gibbs, J. C. (2024, in press). Moral development as growth beyond the superficial. In D. Fasco and F. Fair (Eds.), Critical thinking in moral development. Boston: Brill USA.

Patrick, R., & Gibbs, J. C. (2024, in press).  Moral identity: Origin, construction, and applications of the Moral Self-Relevance measure. In D. Fasco and F. Fair (Eds.), Critical thinking in moral development. Boston: Brill USA.

Potter, G. B., Gibbs, J. C., Robbins, M., & Langdon, P. E. (2024). The EQUIP Program for high-risk adolescents: Serving residential and community agencies. Champaign, IL: Research Press. 

Berkowitz, M. W., Gibbs, J. C., & DiBiasi, A.-M. (2023). A character education perspective on preventing youth violence. In K. Heide (Ed.), International handbook of juvenile homicide (pp. 703-717). Abington, UK: Taylor & Francis.

Brugman, D., & Gibbs, J. C. (2023). Is moral judgment maturity merely the opposite of self-serving cognitive distortions or moral disengagement? European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 20, 709-729.

Gibbs, J. C. (2022).  Moral-cognitive delay and distortions. In C. Garofalo & J. J. Sistema (Eds.), Clinical Forensic Psychology: Development, psychopathology, and treatment (pp. 67-86). London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Brugman, D., Beerthuizen, M. G. C. J., Helmond, P., Basinger, K. S., & Gibbs, J. C. (2022). Assessing moral judgment maturity using the Sociomoral Reflection Measure—Short Form. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 1-11.

Gibbs, J. C. (2021).  Gender differences in moral judgment and behavior. In A. Brunstein (Ed.), Oxford research encyclopedia of psychology (pp. 1-12). New York: Oxford University Press.

Patrick, R. B., Rote, W. M., Gibbs, J. C., & Basinger, K. S. (2019). Defend, stand by, or join in? The relative influence of moral identity, moral judgment, and social self-efficacy on adolescents' bystander behaviors in bullying situations. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 48:2051-2064.

Gibbs, J. C., Basinger, K. S., Grime, R. L., & Lee, D. (2019). Moral judgment maturity: From clinical to standard measures. In S. J. Lopez & M.W. Gallagher (Eds.) Handbook of positive psychological assesment (2nd ed., pp. 333-346). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.

Gibbs, J. C. (2019). Moral development & reality: Beyond the theories of Kohlberg, Hoffman, and Haidt. New York: Oxford University Press.

Patrick, R. B., Bodine, A. J., Gibbs, J. C. & Basinger, K. S. (2018). What accounts for prosocial behavior? Roles of moral identity, moral judgment, and self-efficacy. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 179, 231-245. 

Gibbs, J.C. (2017). Tucker, Stevenson, Weiss, and life: Renditions of the transcendent view from past-life memories. Journal of Near-Death Studies, 35, 133-165. 

Potter, G. B., Gibbs, J .C., Robbins, M., & Langdon, P. E. (2015). A comprehensive cognitive behaviorial program for offenders: Responsible Adult Culture. Dordrecht: Springer.

Gibbs, J. C., Potter, G. B., & DiBiase, A.-M. (2013). Sociomoral development for behaviorally at-risk youth: Mac's group meeting. In C. Proctor and A. Linley (eds.), Positive psychology: Research, applications, and interventions for children and adolescents (pp 225-245). Dordecht, The Netherlands: Springer.

DiBiase, A.-M., Gibbs, J. C., Potter, G. B., & Blount, M (2012). Teaching adolescents to think and act responsibly: The EQUIP approach (2nd ed.). Champaign, IL: Research Press.

Patrick, R. B., & Gibbs, J. C. (2012). Inductive discipline, parental expression of disappointed expectations, and moral identity in adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 41 973-983.

Plante, N., Daigle, M. S., Gaumont, C., Charbonneau, L., Gibbs, J. C., & Barriga, A. (2012). Validation of the "How I Think" Questionnaire in a population of French-speaking adolescents with externalizing behaviors Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 30, 196-210.

Chabrol, H., van Leeuwen, N., Rodgers, R. F., & Gibbs, J. C. (2011). Relations between self-serving cognitive distortions, pyschopathic traits, and antisocial behavior in a non-clinical sample of adolescents. Personality and Individual Differences, 51, 887-892.

Van Vugt, E. S., Gibbs, J. C., Stams, G. J. J., Bijleveld, C., Hendriks, J., & van der Laan, P. H. (2011). Moral development and recidivism: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 55, 1234-1250.

Glick, B., & Gibbs, J. C. (2011). Aggression replacement training (3rd ed.). Champaign, IL: Research Press.

Devlin, R.S., & Gibbs, J. C. (2010) Responsible Adult Culture (RAC): Cognitive and behavioral changes at a community-based correctional facility. Journal of Research in Character Education, 8, 1-20

Gibbs, J. C., Moshman, D., Berkowitz, M. W., Basinger, K. S., & Grime, R. L. (2009). Taking development seriously. Journal of Moral Education, 38, 271-282.

Gibbs, J. C. (2009). Moral development. In S. J. Lopez & A. Beauchamp (Eds.), Encyclopedia of positive psychology (pp. 622-626). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.

Gibbs, J. C. (2008). Reflections on a rescue: Three primacies in moral motivation. In D. Fasko & W. Willis (Eds.), Contemporary philosophical and psychological perspectives on moral development and education (pp. 167-184). Creskill, NJ: Hampton Press.

McCrady, F., Kaufman, K., Vasey, M. W., Barriga, A. Q, Devlin, R. S., & Gibbs, J. C. (2008). It's all about me: Incarcerated adolescent sex offenders' generic and sex-specific cognitive distortions. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 20, 261-271.

Gibbs, J. C., Basinger, K. S., Grime, R. L., & Snarey, J. R. (2007). Moral judgment development across cultures: Revisiting Kohlberg's universality claims. Developmental Review, 27, 443-500.

Patrick, R. B., & Gibbs, J. C. (2007). Parental expression of disappointment: Should it be a factor in Hoffman's model of parental discipline? Journal of Genetic Psychology, 168, 131-145.

Gibbs, J. C. (2006). Should Kohlberg's cognitive developmental approach be replaced with a more pragmatic approach? Comment on Krebs and Denton. Psychological Review, 113, 666-671.

Stams, G. J., Brugman, D., Dekovic, M., van Rosmale, L., van der Laan, P., & Gibbs, J. C. (2006). The moral judgment of juvenile delinquents: A meta-analysis. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 34, 697-713.