Lesson No. 2.

5: Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development

Lesson Objectives

LO1. Explain the stages of Moral Development;

LO2. Analyze a person's level of moral reasoning based on his responses to moral

dilemmas.

Lawrence Kohlberg

• Kohlberg extended Piaget's theory; proposed that moral development is a continual

process that occurs throughout the lifespan.

• Used Piaget ‘s story-telling technique to tell people stories involving moral dilemmas.

• He based his theory upon research and interviews with groups of young children.

• A series of moral dilemmas were presented to these participants and they were also

interviewed to determine the reasoning behind their judgments of each scenario. • One

of the best known stories of Kohlberg ‘s (1958) concerns a man called Heinz who lived

somewhere in Europe.

Kohlberg's theory of moral development is a theory that focuses on how

children develop morality and moral reasoning. Kohlberg's theory suggests that moral

development occurs in a series of six stages. The theory also suggests that moral logic

is primarily focused on seeking and maintaining justice.

What Is Moral Development?

How do people develop morality? This question has fascinated parents, religious

leaders, and philosophers for ages, but moral development has also become a hot-button

issue in psychology and education.1 Do parental or societal influences play a greater role

in moral development? Do all kids develop morality in similar ways?

American psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg developed one of the best-known theories

exploring some of these basic questions.2 His work modified and expanded upon Jean

Piaget's previous work but was more centered on explaining how children develop moral

reasoning.

How did the two theories differ? Piaget described a two-stage process of moral

development.3 Kohlberg extended Piaget's theory, proposing that moral development is

a continual process that occurs throughout the lifespan. His theory outlines six stages of

moral development within three different levels.

In recent years, Kohlberg's theory has been criticized as being Western-centric with a

bias toward men (he primarily used male research subjects) and with having a narrow

worldview based on upper-middle-class value systems and perspectives.

How Kohlberg Developed His Theory

Kohlberg based his theory on a series of moral dilemmas presented to his study subjects.

Participants were also interviewed to determine the reasoning behind their judgments in

each scenario.

One example was "Heinz Steals the Drug." In this scenario, a woman has cancer and her

doctors believe only one drug might save her. This drug had been discovered by a local

pharmacist and he was able to make it for $200 per dose and sell it for $2,000 per dose.

The woman's husband, Heinz, could only raise $1,000 to buy the drug.

He tried to negotiate with the pharmacist for a lower price or to be extended credit to pay

for it over time. But the pharmacist refused to sell it for any less or to accept partial

payments. Rebuffed, Heinz instead broke into the pharmacy and stole the drug to save

his wife. Kohlberg asked, "Should the husband have done that?"

Kohlberg was not interested so much in the answer to whether Heinz was wrong or

right but in the reasoning for each participant's decision. He then classified their

reasoning into the stages of his theory of moral development.

Stages of Moral Development

Kohlberg's theory is broken down into three primary levels. At each level of moral

development, there are two stages. Similar to how Piaget believed that not all people
reach the highest levels of cognitive development, Kohlberg believed not everyone

progresses to the highest stages of moral development.

Level 1. Preconventional Morality

Preconventional morality is the earliest period of moral development. It lasts until around

the age of 9. At this age, children's decisions are primarily shaped by the expectations of

adults and the consequences for breaking the rules. There are two stages within this level:

 Stage 1 (Obedience and Punishment): The earliest stages of moral

development, obedience and punishment are especially common in young

children, but adults are also capable of expressing this type of reasoning.

According to Kohlberg, people at this stage see rules as fixed and

absolute.7 Obeying the rules is important because it is a way to avoid punishment.

 Stage 2 (Individualism and Exchange): At the individualism and exchange stage

of moral development, children account for individual points of view and judge

actions based on how they serve individual needs. In the Heinz dilemma, children

argued that the best course of action was the choice that best served Heinz’s

needs. Reciprocity is possible at this point in moral development, but only if it

serves one's own interests.

Level 2. Conventional Morality

The next period of moral development is marked by the acceptance of social rules

regarding what is good and moral. During this time, adolescents and adults internalize

the moral standards they have learned from their role models and from society.
This period also focuses on the acceptance of authority and conforming to the norms of

the group. There are two stages at this level of morality:

 Stage 3 (Developing Good Interpersonal Relationships): Often referred to as

the "good boy-good girl" orientation, this stage of the interpersonal relationship of

moral development is focused on living up to social expectations and roles.7 There

is an emphasis on conformity, being "nice," and consideration of how choices

influence relationships.

 Stage 4 (Maintaining Social Order): This stage is focused on ensuring that social

order is maintained. At this stage of moral development, people begin to consider

society as a whole when making judgments. The focus is on maintaining law and

order by following the rules, doing one’s duty, and respecting authority.

Level 3. Postconventional Morality

At this level of moral development, people develop an understanding of abstract principles

of morality. The two stages at this level are:

 Stage 5 (Social Contract and Individual Rights): The ideas of a social contract

and individual rights cause people in the next stage to begin to account for the

differing values, opinions, and beliefs of other people.7 Rules of law are important

for maintaining a society, but members of the society should agree upon these

standards.
  Stage 6 (Universal Principles): Kohlberg’s final level of moral reasoning is based

on universal ethical principles and abstract reasoning. At this stage, people follow

these internalized principles of justice, even if they conflict with laws and rules.

Kohlberg believed that only a relatively small percentage of people ever reach the post-

conventional stages (around 10 to 15%).7 One analysis found that while stages one to

four could be seen as universal in populations throughout the world, the fifth and sixth

stages were extremely rare in all populations.

Criticisms

Kohlberg's theory played an important role in the development of moral psychology. While

the theory has been highly influential, aspects of the theory have been critiqued for a

number of reasons:
 Moral reasoning does not equal moral behavior: Kohlberg's theory is

concerned with moral thinking, but there is a big difference between knowing what

we ought to do versus our actual actions. Moral reasoning, therefore, may not lead

to moral behavior.

 Overemphasizes justice: Critics have pointed out that Kohlberg's theory of moral

development overemphasizes the concept of justice when making moral choices.

Factors such as compassion, caring, and other interpersonal feelings may play an

important part in moral reasoning.9

 Cultural bias: Individualist cultures emphasize personal rights, while collectivist

cultures stress the importance of society and community. Eastern, collectivist

cultures may have different moral outlooks that Kohlberg's theory does not take

into account.

 Age bias: Most of his subjects were children under the age of 16 who obviously

had no experience with marriage. The Heinz dilemma may have been too abstract

for these children to understand, and a scenario more applicable to their everyday

concerns might have led to different results.

 Gender bias: Kohlberg's critics, including Carol Gilligan, have suggested that

Kohlberg's theory was gender-biased since all of the subjects in his sample were

male.10 Kohlberg believed that women tended to remain at the third level of moral

development because they place a stronger emphasis on things such as social

relationships and the welfare of others.

Gilligan instead suggested that Kohlberg's theory overemphasizes concepts such as

justice and does not adequately address moral reasoning founded on the principles and

ethics of caring and concern for others.

Reference:

https://www.google.com/search?q=lawrence+kohlberg&tbm=isch&ved=2ah

UKEwiDt73B5ZbzAhUuxYsBHT0KBuoQ2-

cCegQIABAA&oq=Lawrekohlberg%27s&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQARgAMgYIABAHEB4

yBggAEAcQHjIGCAAQBxAeMgYIABAHEB4yBggAEAcQHjIGCAAQBxAeMgYIABA

HEB4yBggAEAcQHjIGCAAQBxAeMgYIABAHEB5QmBBYmBdg_SJoAHAAeACAA

cgBiAG7BZIBBTAuNC4xmAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWfAAQE&sclient=img&

ei=s1ZNYcORCq6Kr7wPvZSY0A4&bih=657&biw=1366#imgrc=14YSiGetW8H4YM

https://www.verywellmind.com/kohlbergs-theory-of-moral-development-2795071