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Moral Development: Chapter 11 - Developmental Psychology

Kohlberg's theory of moral development identified 6 stages across 3 levels of moral reasoning that individuals progress through from childhood to adulthood. The theory is based on studies of how children reason through moral dilemmas like the story of Heinz stealing a drug to save his wife. However, the theory has been criticized for not accounting for family influences, only using male participants, and lacking cross-cultural validity.

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Jan Dela Rosa
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193 views16 pages

Moral Development: Chapter 11 - Developmental Psychology

Kohlberg's theory of moral development identified 6 stages across 3 levels of moral reasoning that individuals progress through from childhood to adulthood. The theory is based on studies of how children reason through moral dilemmas like the story of Heinz stealing a drug to save his wife. However, the theory has been criticized for not accounting for family influences, only using male participants, and lacking cross-cultural validity.

Uploaded by

Jan Dela Rosa
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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MORAL

DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 11 | DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
WHAT IS MORAL DEVELOPMENT?
 Lawrence Kohlberg (1958) agreed with Piaget's
(1932) theory of moral development in principle but
wanted to develop his ideas further.
 He used Piaget’s storytelling technique to tell people
stories involving moral dilemmas. In each case he
presented a choice to be considered, for example,
between the rights of some authority and the needs
of some deserving individual who is being unfairly
treated.
 One of the best known of Kohlberg’s (1958) stories
concerns a man called Heinz who lived somewhere
in Europe.
THE STORY OF HEINZ

Heinz’s wife was dying from a particular type of


cancer. Doctors said a new drug might save her.
The drug had been discovered by a local chemist
and the Heinz tried desperately to buy some, but
the chemist was charging ten times the money it
cost to make the drug and this was much more
than the Heinz could afford.
THE STORY OF HEINZ

Heinz could only raise half the money, even after


help from family and friends. He explained to the
chemist that his wife was dying and asked if he
could have the drug cheaper or pay the rest of
the money later.
The chemist refused, saying that he had
discovered the drug and was going to make
money from it. The husband was desperate to
save his wife, so later that night he broke into the
chemist’s and stole the drug.
THE STORY OF HEINZ

Kohlberg asked a series of questions such as:


1. Should Heinz have stolen the drug?
2. Would it change anything if Heinz did not love
his wife?
3. What if the person dying was a stranger, would
it make any difference?
4. Should the police arrest the chemist for murder
if the woman died?
THE STORY OF HEINZ

 By studying the answers from children of


different ages to these questions Kohlberg
hoped to discover the ways in which moral
reasoning changed as people grew older. The
sample comprised 72 Chicago boys aged 10–16
years, 58 of whom were followed up at three-
yearly intervals for 20 years (Kohlberg, 1984).
THE STORY OF HEINZ

 Each boy was given a 2-hour interview based on


the ten dilemmas. What Kohlberg was mainly
interested in was not whether the boys judged
the action right or wrong, but the reasons given
for the decision. He found that these reasons
tended to change as the children got older.
MORAL DEVELOPMENT

Kohlberg identified three distinct levels of moral


reasoning each with two sub stages. People can
only pass through these levels in the order listed.
Each new stage replaces the reasoning typical of
the earlier stage. Not everyone achieves all the
stages.
Kohlberg's Stages of Moral
Development
Level 1 - Pre-conventional morality
 At the pre-conventional level (most nine-year-
olds and younger, some over nine), we don’t
have a personal code of morality. Instead, our
moral code is shaped by the standards of adults
and the consequences of following or breaking
their rules.
 Authority is outside the individual and reasoning
is based on the physical consequences of
actions.
Kohlberg's Stages of Moral
Development
Level 1 - Pre-conventional morality
 Stage 1. Obedience and Punishment Orientation.
The child/individual is good in order to avoid
being punished. If a person is punished, they
must have done wrong.
 Stage 2. Individualism and Exchange.
At this stage children recognize that there is not
just one right view that is handed down by the
authorities. Different individuals have different
viewpoints.
Kohlberg's Stages of Moral
Development
Level 2 - Conventional morality
 At the conventional level (most adolescents and
adults), we begin to internalize the moral
standards of valued adult role models.
 Authority is internalized but not questioned and
reasoning is based on the norms of the group to
which the person belongs.
Kohlberg's Stages of Moral
Development
Level 2 - Conventional morality
 Stage 3. Good Interpersonal Relationships. The
child/individual is good in order to be seen as
being a good person by others. Therefore,
answers relate to the approval of others.
 Stage 4. Maintaining the Social Order. The
child/individual becomes aware of the wider
rules of society so judgments concern obeying
the rules in order to uphold the law and to avoid
guilt.
Kohlberg's Stages of Moral
Development
Level 3 - Post-conventional morality
 Individual judgment is based on self-chosen principles,
and moral reasoning is based on individual rights and
justice. According to Kohlberg this level of moral
reasoning is as far as most people get.
 Only 10-15% are capable of the kind of abstract
thinking necessary for stage 5 or 6 (post-conventional
morality). That is to say most people take their moral
views from those around them and only a minority think
through ethical principles for themselves.
Kohlberg's Stages of Moral
Development
Level 3 - Post-conventional morality
 Stage 5. Social Contract and Individual Rights.
The child/individual becomes aware that while
rules/laws might exist for the good of the greatest
number, there are times when they will work
against the interest of particular individuals.
 The issues are not always clear cut. For example,
in Heinz’s dilemma the protection of life is more
important than breaking the law against stealing.
Kohlberg's Stages of Moral
Development
Level 3 - Post-conventional morality
 Stage 6. Universal Principles. People at this stage have
developed their own set of moral guidelines which may
or may not fit the law. The principles apply to everyone.
 E.g. human rights, justice and equality. The person will be
prepared to act to defend these principles even if it
means going against the rest of society in the process
and having to pay the consequences of disapproval
and or imprisonment. Kohlberg doubted few people
reached this stage.
CRITICISMS OF KOHLBERG’S THEORY

1. Family Influences
Kohlberg didn’t consider the importance of
parents in the child’s moral development
2. Androgenic Bias
The participants of the research are only male
3. Cross-Cultural Validity
It was found out that Kohlberg’s model was not
applicable to nonwestern cultures

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