Moral Development

Moral reasoning

the thinking that occurs as we consider right and wrong

preconventional morality

Before age 9, children show morality to avoid punishment or gain reward.

conventional morality

By early adolescence, social rules and laws are upheld for their own sake.

postconventional morality

Affirms people's agreed-upon rights or follows personally perceived ethical principles.

Moral Intuition

quick gut feelings that precede moral reasoning

Moral Action

doing the right thing (delay gratification)

neurocognitive disorders

acquired (not lifelong) disorders marked by cognitive deficits; often related to Alzheimer's disease, brain injury or disease, or substance abuse. In older adults neurocognitive disorders were formerly called dementia

Alzheimer's disease

a neurocognitive disorder marked by neural plaques, often with an onset after age 80, and entailing a progressive decline in memory and other cognitive abilities