1. Unit 4: Developmental Psychology
Essential Task 4-7: Compare and contrast Kohlberg and Gilligan’s models of moral development.
Logo Green is R=8 G=138 B= Blue is R= 0 G=110 B=184
Border Grey is R=74 G=69 B=64

2. Unit 4 Developmental Psych We are here Social Adulthood
Types of Studies
Adolescence
Adulthood
Unit 4
Developmental
Psych
Prenatal
Development
Aging
We are here
Cognitive
Development
Moral
Development
Piaget’s
Stages
Vygotsky’s
Theory
Kohlberg
Gilligan
Social
Development
Erikson
Gender
Parenting
Styles

3. Heinz Dilemma
In Europe, a woman was near death from a special kind of cancer. There was one drug that the doctors thought might save her. It was a form of radium that a druggist in the same town had recently discovered. The drug was expensive to make, but the druggist was charging ten times what the drug cost him to make. He paid $200 for the radium and charged $2,000 for a small dose of the drug. The sick woman's husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money, but he could only get together about $ 1,000 which is half of what it cost. He told the druggist that his wife was dying and asked him to sell it cheaper or let him pay later. But the druggist said: "No, I discovered the drug and I'm going to make money from it." So Heinz got desperate and broke into the man's store to steal the drug-for his

4. Morality Development: Piaget
Responses to moral problems can be divided into two broad stages:
 Moral Realism (Morality of Constraint)
– Rules are concrete, consequences determine all guilt (6 year olds)
 Moral Relativism (Morality of Cooperation)
– Rules are flexible, intent is important in determining guilt (12 year olds)

5. Ethics Vs Morality
What is the difference between the two? Morals are how you treat people you know. Ethics are how you treat people you don’t know. Morality is primarily about making correct choices, while ethics is about proper reasoning

6. Trolley problem
You see that a runway train is hurtling down a track, and that is going to hit a group of 5 people standing in its path and will certainly kill them all. However, you happen to be stand next to a switch that can divert the train down another track where only a single person is standing. What would you do?

7. Trolley problem Cont
Suppose that there is no switch, but that you are instead standing on a bridge over the railway track next to a very fat man, and you are sure that if you pushed him onto the track his bulk (but not yours) would be sufficient to stop the train before it hit the group of people. What do you think now? Should you kill the fat man?

8. Morality Development: Kohlberg
Level I: Pre-conventional: Egocentric orientation focusing on moral consequences for the self; reasoning found until about 10 years of age
Stage
Description
Moral reasoning based on immediate consequences for the individual. An act is moral if a person isn’t punished for it. It is immoral if the person is punished.
1: Punishment - Obedience
2: Individualism and Exchange
Moral reasoning based on reciprocity. An act is moral if a similar act occurs in return (i.e. satisfies own needs)

9. Morality Development: Kohlberg
Level II: Conventional: Moral reasoning linked to perspectives of, and concerns for, others (i.e. loyalty, obeying the law, family obligation); typical of 10 to 20 yr olds.
Stage
Description
Moral reasoning based on concern for others or the opinions of others. An act is moral if others demonstrate similar acts, or it helps others (i.e. behavior likely to please others)
3: Good boy-nice girl
Moral reasoning based on rules, laws, and orderly society. An act is moral if it follows rules or promotes an orderly society.
4: Law and Order

10. Morality Development: Kohlberg
Level III: Post-conventional. Reasoning transcends society’s rules; reflects an understanding that rules sometimes need to be changed/ignored.
Stage
Description
Moral reasoning based on principled agreements among people. An act is moral if it is consistent with a principled agreement. (ex: Bill of Rights)
5: Social Contract
Moral reasoning based on abstract principles. An act is moral if it is consistent with an abstract principle that transcends an individual’s society.
6: Universal Ethical

11. Summary of Kohlberg’s Six Stage Theory of Morality Development:
1: Punishment and Obedience
Moral reasoning based on immediate consequences for the individual.
2: Market Exchange
Moral reasoning based on reciprocity. An act is moral if a similar act occurs in return.
3: Interpersonal Harmony
Moral reasoning based on concern for others or the opinions of others.
4: Law and Order
Moral reasoning based on rules, laws, and an orderly society.
5: Social Contract
Moral reasoning based on principled agreements among people.  
6: Universal Principles
Moral reasoning based on abstract principles.

12. Morality Development: Exercise (I)
1. If I stay out I will be in big trouble with my parents.
Stage 1: Punishment and Obedience
Preconventional Ethics: Young children, some teenagers
It’s not like they’ve never broken a promise to me.
Stage 2: Individualism and Exchange
My parents and I agreed that midnight was fair, and you can’t go back on your agreements.
Stage 5: Social Contract
Postconventional Ethics: Middle school to high school students
4. If I stay out my parents will be worried.
Stage 3: Good boy-nice girl
Conventional Ethics: Middle school to high school students

13. Morality Development: Exercise (II)
It’s the curfew, so I’ll be in by midnight.
Stage 4: Law and order
Conventional Ethics: Middle school to high school
students
My friends have curfews, too, and they’re going to be home by then.
Stage 3: Good boy Nice Girl

14. Piaget, Kohlberg, and Gilligan: Moral Development
Criticisms of Kohlberg’s Theory
Acceleration of moral development through instruction is limited
Moral dilemmas are too removed from everyday social interactions
 Too much emphasis on moral reasoning and not enough on moral behavior
 Research sample (white males) limits the generalizability of the findings

15. Morality Development: Gender Differences
Are there gender differences? Do men and women approach moral dilemmas differently?
Some suggest:
Men: judgment on abstract concepts (justice, rules, individual rights)
Women: Interpersonal connections and attention to human needs
Ultimately, findings mixed
Kohlberg focused exclusively on cognitive aspects of moral reasoning/development

16. Piaget, Kohlberg, and Gilligan: Moral Development
Gilligan’s View of Identity and Moral Development
Student of Kohlberg and later became critical of some of him
Females develop along different path
Preconventional. Care is egocentric
Conventional. Care results from internalized focus on others, while neglecting oneself
Postconventional. Critical of approach in Conventional stage; Learn to balance caring for self with caring for others.