Moral Development - AP Psychology

Lawrence Kohlberg developed three levels of morality to describe people: pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional thought. Pre-conventional thought is the most elementary of the three levels, in which actions are thought to be good or bad based on the rewards or punishments that stem from said action.

In the conventional stage of moral development, right vs. wrong is based upon societal conventions and expectations. Since Cody stated something that is a social convention, rather than a personal ethical belief, he is demonstrating features of the conventional stage of devlopment.

Moral reasoning at the preconventional level focuses on punishment, rewards, and authority. The child in this question is exhibiting this degree of moral consideration.

Moral reasoning at the conventional level focuses on social order, upholding the law, and maintaining positive relationships.

Moral reasoning at the postconventional level focuses on principles and values beyond laws that ensure individual rights.

There is no unconventional level of moral reasoning, as presented by Kohlberg.

At stage three of Kohlberg's theory, which usually begins in adolescence or adulthood, people become conscious of how the society at large views their behavior. Thus, they are not necessarily concerned with gaining a direct reward or avoiding punishments, but rather focus on cultivating behaviors like appreciation and good manners that will make them well-liked by society. This stage is defined by conformity to societal expectations of behavior.

Kohlberg's three stages are preconventional (in which morality is determined by the consequences for the person), conventional (in which morality is determined by social rules), and postconventional (in which morality is determined by core values). Since Elliott is choosing to keep the Earth clean not because he will get a fine or because his friends will judge him, but because of his own moral compass, this is an example of the postconventional stage.

Lawrence Kohlberg is arguably the most influential psychologist in the field of moral development, particularly in children. He posits that humans can fall into three different stages of morality: preconventional, conventional, and postconventional morality. He used paradigms like the Heinz dilemma to assess children's responses, and determine which level of morality they possess.

Also known as “identity crisis,” individuals in their late teens and early twenties struggle with discovering their identity. As these individuals begin venturing into the world, they struggle with who they are or want to be and their purpose in the world.

James Marcia proposed the Identity Status Theory based on Erikson’s stage of identity versus role confusion. His theory led to four different results: diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium, and achievement. Individuals drifting through life with no purpose or intention for exploration are in a state of diffusion. Individuals who have explored and discovered their purpose and identity are in a state of achievement.

Piaget argued that children under the age of ten view the world in terms of Moral Realism, believing in fixed, universal rules and judging actions by their consequences, rather than the intent of the actor. After ten, he claimed, children learn that rules are socially created things that are adjusted as needed and begin to judge actions by the intent of their actors as they were done.

Kohlberg's three levels of moral thinking include preconventional, conventional, and postconventional.

From birth to about nine years of age, a child is believed to experience what Kohlberg called the preconventional phase. At this time the focus is self-interest; the child will follow rules just to avoid punishment and achieve a concrete reward.

The other two options, “preoperational” and “concrete operational” are incorrect because they are stages from Piaget's theory of cognitive development.

Kohlberg's three levels of moral thinking include preconventional, conventional, and postconventional.

From adolescence and beyond, Kohlberg believed that an individual experiences the postconventional level of morality. During this time, the individual focuses on actions that demonstrate a belief in self-defined ethical principles and basic rights.

“Ego” would be incorrect as it is one of Freud's psychoanalytical stages.

“Concrete operational” would also be incorrect because it is one of Piaget's stages from his theory of cognitive development.

The Heinz Dilemma refers to a story used by Kohlberg in his study on moral development about a man who steals drugs to help his wife who is dying of cancer. By asking how people would react to this dilemma, Kohlberg developed his stages of moral development which correspond more or less to peoples' age groups.

Pre-conventional morality is most common amongst infants or toddlers whose primary focus is to avoid punishment and seek reward. Consequently, any morals they have will be based on that principle.

Kohlberg's stages of moral development were based on Jean Piaget's stages of childhood development. Kohlberg's first stage is the Pre-Conventional, which consists of obedience orientation (punishment avoidance) and self-interest orientation. The second stage is the Conventional, which consists of interpersonal conformity to social norms and authority orientation. The third and final stage is the Post-Conventional, which consists of universal ethical principles (conscience) and social contract thinking.

Kohlberg’s model of moral thought was categorized into three levels: pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional. Pre-conventional moral thought is concerned with thoughts associated with obedience, punishment, and self interests (e.g. “if I steal, then I will be caught and punished” and “stealing is against the law”). On the other hand, post-conventional thought is characterized by higher order moral thinking such as that associated with social contracts and universal ethical principles. Last, the conventional level is characterized by thoughts indicative of social order and conformity (e.g. the correct answer “if I steal, then people will think I’m a bad boy”).

The conventional stage of moral development occurs from approximately 10 years old to early adolescence. During this stage, children make decisions based on how the world will view them. Children learn conventional standards of right and wrong, as usually follow these so others will see them as "good."

Kohlberg's theory of moral development divides morality into three levels: preconventional, conventional, and postconventional. The preconventional level occurs prior to age 10 and involves a desire to avoid punishment and receive rewards. Children in this stage may follow rules because of their own self-interests. Children in the conventional stage are motivated to do what is right and uphold society's rules and standards. This is consistent with Mark's philosophy on why lying is wrong. During the postconventional stage, people develop an internal set of values and have a more flexible view of morality. Kohlberg believed that not everyone reaches the postconventional level. The oral and latency stages are associated with Freud's psychosexual stages of development.

Lawrence Kohlberg believed that there are three different stages of morality that are expressed through our actions. The young child above is engaging in "pre-conventional morality." In this stage, actions are determined to be bad or good depending on how they are rewarded or punished. Specifically, the action of stealing is determined to be bad because society has set forth rules that would likely result in the young child getting punished for it.

The conventional stages of Kohlberg's stages of moral development are associated with morality derived from "social norms and expectations." This is in contrast with the pre-conventional stages, which focus on self-interest and punishment, and the post-conventional stages, which focus on social contracts and universal principles.

Lawrence Kohlberg was the theorist who developed the concept that morality comes in three stages: pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional.

Lawrence Kohlberg developed three levels of morality to describe people: pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional thought. Pre-conventional thought is the most elementary of the three levels, in which actions are thought to be good or bad based on the rewards or punishments that stem from said action.