Morality

Adolescent Morality Today

  • Discussion on whether adolescent morality is declining or evolving.

  • Adolescence as a period of complex moral growth.

  • Influenced by:

    • Cognitive advances.

    • Social context.

    • Cultural change.

What is Moral Development?

  • Encompasses:

    • How adolescents think about moral standards.

    • How adolescents behave in moral situations.

    • How adolescents feel about moral situations.

    • Components of an adolescent's moral identity or moral character.

Learning Objectives

  • Apply Kohlberg’s stages of moral reasoning (moral thinking).

  • Explain criticisms of Kohlberg’s theory.

  • Apply the social cognitive theory of moral development (moral behavior).

  • Understand dimensions of moral feeling and personality.

Moral Thinking: Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Reasoning

  • Level 1: Preconventional Reasoning

    • Focus on punishment and reward.

  • Level 2: Conventional Reasoning

    • Emphasis on law/order and approval.

  • Level 3: Postconventional Reasoning

    • Concentration on moral principles and values.

Moral Dilemmas

  • Example scenario:

    • A 16-year-old lies to protect a friend who shoplifted.

  • Considerations:

    • Construct responses at each level of reasoning.

    • Does a higher level of moral reasoning correlate with higher moral behavior?

    • Is morality concerned with justice or with relationships, care, and empathy for others?

Criticisms of Kohlberg’s Theory

  • Critiques include:

    • Too much emphasis on moral thought rather than moral behavior.

    • Moral thinking can often be automatic, not always deliberate.

    • Stages of moral reasoning may not be universally applicable; may vary by culture.

    • Justice perspective prioritized over relationship-based (care) perspective.

Moral Behavior: Social Cognitive Theory of Moral Development

  • Moral development occurs through:

    • Observational learning.

    • Modeling.

    • Reinforcements and punishments, rather than just cognitive thinking.

  • Morality learned through interaction, not in a staged manner.

  • Integrates the concept of reciprocal determinism, encompassing:

    • Personal factors (thoughts/values).

    • Environmental factors (specific situations).

    • Behavior (moral action).

Reciprocal Determinism

  • Case Study: Ethan, a 17-year-old high school senior.

    • Characteristics:

      • Volunteering at a food pantry.

      • Tutoring underclassmen.

      • Praised for kindness, responsibility, and ethics; no trouble in school.

    • Context:

      • Aspirations to apply for a competitive engineering program.

      • Encounter with a situation involving an exam and a classmate's test copy.

    • Analysis:

      • Examine Ethan's situation using:

      • Personal factors.

      • Environmental factors.

      • Behavior.

      • Potential changes in moral behavior discussed.

Moral Feeling

  • Definition: Moral emotions motivate moral behavior and regulate social interactions.

  • Key moral emotions include:

    • Empathy.

    • Sympathy.

    • Guilt.

    • Shame.

  • Development of these emotions through childhood and adolescence correlates with increased prosocial behavior.

  • Question posed: Are moral emotions sufficient to exclusively guide morality?

Moral Personality

  • Moral Identity:

    • An aspect of personality where moral commitment is central.

  • Moral Responsibility:

    • Integral to identity; prioritizes moral goals.

  • Moral Disengagement:

    • Process where individuals disconnect their internal moral standards from their actions.