Kohlbergs Theory Of Moral Development Essay - 1681 Words

Lawrence Kohlberg is best known for his theory of moral development. This is a psychological theory which Kohlberg was influenced by psychologists Jean Piaget and John Dewey stage of development. Kohlberg developed most of his ideas based on Piaget s theory of cognitive development. Accordingly, the theory of moral development consists of three levels of moral reasoning: pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional. Additionally, it is broken down into two stages per level. Pe-conventional is stage one of obedience and punishment; stage two is individual interest. Conventional is stage three of interpersonal and stage four is about authority. Lastly, post-conventional is stage five of social contrast and stage six of universal†¦show more content†¦Their explanation was â€Å"It’s against the law† or â€Å"It’s inferior to steal† according to Crain, a professor at The City College of New York. In stage two –individual interestâ€⠀œ children commence recognizing the â€Å"right† viewpoint. In contrast with stage one: â€Å"stage two punishments are simply a risk that one wants to avoid† (Crain). Studies show boys want to avoid punishment because of their own interest. On of stage two s characteristics is to act of someone s own attentiveness. Level one of moral development involves the authorities laws and one s own interest. (Crain). The subsequent level in the theory of moral development is conventional morality. The stages included in this level: interpersonal and authority. Children that are typically in stage four are pre-teens that are starting to understand morality with a better comprehension of what it actually means. Children want the approval of others, so they can have the desire of being a generous person. Preteens react this way in the sense of getting something vigorous out of it, in this case being an exceptional person. An example of this stage is: â€Å"a child gives away her lunch to a street peasant because she thinks doing so means being nice† (Sincero). The following stage –authority, law, and order– involves respecting the law and following the obligations of a duty. Nevertheless, members of a community tend to maintain in this stageShow MoreRelatedKohlbergs Theory of Moral Development Essay1410 Words   |  6 Pagesweaknesses of Kohlbergs theory of moral development. In this essay, following a brief outline of the theory, I will be discussing the strengths and weaknesses of Kohlbergs theory of moral development. Morality comes from the Latin word for custom. It is a behaviour that one has been accustomed to due to the laws and customs in a particular society. By the time a person reaches adulthood, they should have a good idea about personal and social behaviour (Carlson, 2004) Kohlbergs theory of moral developmentRead MoreKohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development Essay1145 Words   |  5 Pagesthe other.† Is there a solidified definition of what is right though? We enforce rules and laws, but that doesn’t mean they’re always fair or ethical. Our morals decide what we believe is just. We can judge the morals of people and even fictional characters using what is known as â€Å"Kohlberg’s theory of moral development.† This theory rates morals on a scale from 0-6 starting at stage 0 where those who are amoral stand. The scale is complete at the highest level of morality during stage 6 where thoseRead MoreKohlbergs Theory of Moral Development Essay803 Words   |  4 Pages Kohlbergs theory of moral development consists of six stages within three levels known as preconventional Morality, conventional Morality and postconventional Morality. Kohlberg calls stage one thinking preconventional because children are unable to sp eak as members of society at this point. Instead, they see morality as what the adults say they must do. Kohlberg believes that moral development is a process which occurs throughout the lifespan and does not end at any given time. He is not soRead More Kohlbergs Theory of Moral Development Essay1589 Words   |  7 Pagesdissertation, which explained his theory of the development of moral reasoning. This was dependent on Dewey’s and Piaget’s way of thinking.) Lawrence not only taught at the University of Chicago, but also at Harvard University, where his theory became popular through research studies that were conducted at Harvard’s Center for Moral Education. His theory pioneered the world of science between both positivists and behavioralists by the presentation of a new theory of moral development that would bridge togetherRead MoreTesting Kohlbergs Theory of Moral Development for Gender Bias1369 Words   |  6 PagesTesting Kohlbergs Theory of Moral Deve lopment for Gender Bias Testing Kohlbergs Theory of Moral Development for Gender Bias Introduction Building upon Piagets moral development model, which suggests that children around the ages of 10 or 11 transition from a rule-based morality to one that is more relativistic, Kohlberg concluded in his 1958 doctoral dissertation that there were at least five stages of moral development (Crain, 1985). According to Kohlberg, the maturation from one stage toRead MoreKohlberg s Theory Of The Development Of Moral Judgement1693 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Critically Evaluate Kohlberg’s Theory of the Development of Moral Judgement† Lawrence Kohlberg (1927-1987) further developed the works of Piaget (1896-1980) on moral development. This essay will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Kohlberg’s theory in a critical manner, looking at the positive aspects of his research and the disadvantages of the types of situations he gave in his experiments, the universal accuracy of his results and the controversial findings of sex differences in regards toRead MoreKohlberg s Theory Of Moral Development1594 Words   |  7 Pagesthe works of Piaget (1896-1980) in regards to moral development. This essay will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Kohlberg’s theory in a critical manner, looking at the positive aspects of his research and the disadvantages of the types of situations he gave in his experiments, the universal accuracy of his results and the controversial findings of sex differences in regards to morality. Kohlberg advanced Piaget’s theory of moral development and interviewed 10-13 yea r-old boys to find outRead More The Psychology of Post-Conventional Morality and Martin Luther King Jr.1424 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Morals, as defined by psychologist, are the attitudes and beliefs held by individuals that aid in the determination or what is right and what is wrong (Hock 142). It is believed that what is deemed moral is determined by our culture and the norms present in that culture. It is also believed that we are not born with an established set of morals; instead, we must gain this outline of what is moral throughout our childhood and adolescence and into adulthood. In order to properly analyzeRead MoreMoral Development And The Social Learning Theory Essay1466 Words   |  6 PagesThis essay will examine moral development and the theories of cognitive development and the Social Learning theory. It will also cover key theorists and their perspectives moving on to different kinds of development followed by an evaluation of the chosen theories and the studies that surround their validity. The final segment will be of the nature nurture aspect. Moral development is essentially the ability to distinguish right from wrong actions and good from bad behaviour. Albert Bandura believedRead MoreTheories And Research Of Educational Psychology1615 Words   |  7 PagesSelect one area of applied psychology in this module. Discuss how theory and research in this area has been helpful or unhelpful in addressing human problems. Educational psychology has produced a vast array of theory and research that can be applied to educational settings to address problems that may occur. This essay will discuss how helpful, or not so helpful, research and theory has been in dealing with problems found in schools such as morality and understanding how children learn in order