L AWRENCE K OHLBERG Stage Theory of Moral Development

L AWRENCE K OHLBERG ( ) Born into a wealthy family in New York Was a merchant marine in WW2 Snuck Jews through British blockade of Palestine Inspired him to study moral development Earned his BA in Psychology in 1 year at University of Chicago and his doctorate by 1958.

Work was based on Piaget and Dewey Taught at Yale then Harvard Survey approach – tell story and measure responses Developed rare tropical disease that disabled him in many ways and caused extreme depression in 1973 Disappeared in January 1987 and was later found in a swamp Some suspect suicide.

T HE T HEORY IN A N UTSHELL Came up with a cognitive theory about the development of children’s moral reasoning. This happens in stages that are always sequential and cannot be skipped Children advance at different rates and not everyone reaches the last stage There are three levels of moral development 2 stages within each level

T HE P RECONVENTIONAL L EVEL 0-9 Years Preconventional moral reasoning: judgments are based on consequences of actions/behavior. Stage 1: Obedience and Punishment “good” is what helps avoid punishment Stage 2: Instrumental Morality “good” is what satisfies needs

T HE C ONVENTIONAL L EVEL Conventional moral reasoning: judgments based on whether the act conform to conventional standards/rules/expectations. These come from influences like family, religion, and society as a whole. Stage 3: Good Boy/Girl Morality “good” meets your needs and the expectations of other people Stage 4: Law and Order “good” means maintaining social order and following the rules

T HE P OSTCONVENTIONAL S TAGE Postconventional moral reasoning: reasoning based on a person’s own moral standards of goodness Stage 5: Social Contract Recognizes that laws have a purpose and value and shouldn’t be violated without good reason Laws cannot bind someone in exceptional circumstances Stage 6: Principles of Conscience Acts that that support the values of human life, justice and dignity are moral and “good” Rely on your own conscience Don’t necessarily obey laws or agree with other’s opinions

G UIDED P RACTICE

D ILEMMA I: J OE WANTS TO GO C AMPING Joe is a 14 year old who wanted to go to camp very much. His father promised him he could go if he saved up the money for it himself. So Joe worked hard at his paper route and saved up the forty dollars it cost to go to camp, and a little more besides. But just before camp was going to start, his father changed his mind. Some of his friends decided to go on a special fishing trip, and Joe’s father was short of the money it would cost. So he told Joe to give him the money he had saved from the paper route. Joe didn’t want to give up going to camp, so he think so refusing to give his father the money

H OLES AND B IAS IN K OHLBERG ’ S T HEORY Boys appear to reason at higher levels of moral development than girls. Kohlberg believed that few people can make it past stage 4.

G ILLIGAN ’ S T HEORY OF M ORAL D EVELOPMENT Females go through stages of moral development too but the involve her perception of herself in relationship to others. 3 Stages Stage 1: Survival Caring for self/ I have no one but myself Transition of self centeredness to responsibility Stage 2: Goodness Caring for Others Transition of Conformity to social expectations to choice (my needs versus the needs of others) Stage3: Balance Caring for self and others

A PPLICATION Consider both the theories of Kohlberg and Gilligan, which do you think has more validity in your life? What stage do you think you are currently in? Why?