Moral Development

 

STAGE 

FOCUS 

EXPLANATION 

Preconventional Reasoning 

How will my decision affect me? 

Obey rules to avoid punishment or gain concrete  

3-7 how children reason = me, me, I,I 

Conventional Reasoning 

Will other approve my decision? 

Uphold rules & follow the law to gain approval 8-13 most common level  

Postconventional Reasoning 

Is this consistent with my personally defined ethical principles? 

Weigh the pro & con of decision on abstract principles  
requires formal operations 13+ 

 

Moral reasoning 

  • How to decide what is wrong  

  • Reasoning 

    • "why?" a thought process  

    • Justify it with your reasoning  

  • Superego deals with morals  

 

Lawrence Kohlberg's Theory  

  • Dilemma  

    • A situation where a decision has to be made  

  • A presented dilemmas+ 72 boys age 10-16 from middle to lower class families in Chicago  

 

Moral development  

  • Conception of justices 

[____]===========================================================> 

Less a diquat conceptions of justice                                               more conception of justices  

  • Levels  

    • Pre conventional reasoning  

    • Conventional reasoning  

    • Postconvention reasoning  

  • Conventions are standards rules or practice established   

 

Moral reasoning≠ moral behavior