Understanding the Moral Identity Score The Moral Identity Score does not measure financial literacy, intelligence, or competence. It measures something more subtle: How you interpret the meaning of debt. Debt, in itself, is a financial tool—an agreement structured around risk, time, and uncertainty. But people rarely experience it that way. Instead, debt becomes moralized. It becomes a story about: - responsibility - obligation - discipline - and, at times, personal worth This score reflects which version of that story you are most likely to believe. At lower levels, debt is understood as something that happens within systems. At higher levels, debt is experienced as something that reflects who a person is. Neither perspective is entirely right or wrong. But each carries consequences. They shape: -how we judge others -how we judge ourselves -and how willing we are to seek -help when financial strain becomes overwhelming