Kholberg Flashcards
Aim
To investigate how moral reasoning develops with age.
To test whether moral development occurs in a universal, fixed order across cultures.
To support his stage theory of moral development (3 levels, 6 stages).
🧪 Method:
Longitudinal study – same boys studied for 12 years.
Cross-cultural – included boys from USA,
Mexico, Taiwan, Turkey, UK.
Interviews using moral dilemmas (e.g., the Heinz dilemma).
Focus was on the reasoning, not the answer itself.
Sample
75 American boys
Aged 10–16 at the start
Followed until ages 22–28
Also included boys from other cultures
📋 Procedure:
Every few years, boys were presented with hypothetical dilemmas.
Their responses were analysed and sorted into one of six stages of moral reasoning.
Looked at development over time and cross-cultural patterns.
📊 Kohlberg’s 6 Stages of Moral Development:
✅ Level 1: Pre-conventional (Self-interest)
Obedience & Punishment
Right = avoiding punishment
E.g. “He shouldn’t steal the drug or he’ll get in trouble.”
Self-Interest (Instrumental purpose)
Right = what’s best for the individual (rewards)
E.g. “Heinz should steal the drug because he’ll be happier if his wife lives.”
✅ Level 2: Conventional (Social rules)
Good Boy / Good Girl
Right = pleasing others, gaining approval
E.g. “He should steal the drug because that’s what a good husband does.”
Law & Order
Right = obeying laws, maintaining order
E.g. “He shouldn’t steal because it’s illegal.”
✅ Level 3: Post-conventional (Abstract principles)
Social Contract
Right = based on mutual benefit, flexible law
E.g. “He should steal it; the law is wrong if it lets his wife die.”
Universal Ethical Principles
Right = based on internal moral principles (justice, human rights)
E.g. “Saving a life is more important than following the law.”
📈 Results:
Moral reasoning developed in the same order, no one skipped stages.
Development occurred gradually over time.
Cultural similarities found – stages present across countries.
Some people didn’t reach the higher stages.
Middle-class boys developed faster than working-class boys.
🧠 Conclusions:
Moral development occurs in universal stages.
It is linked to cognitive maturity and social experience.
Not everyone reaches Stage 6.
Moral reasoning becomes more abstract and principled with age.
👍 Strengths:
Longitudinal – tracks real development
Cross-cultural – supports universality of stages
Focuses on reasoning, not just behaviour
👎 Weaknesses:
Only boys – gender bias (androcentric)
Cultural bias – based on Western values
Hypothetical dilemmas – not realistic, may not reflect real-life morals
Ethnocentric – some cultures may not value abstract reasoning in the same way
💬 Key Themes & Debates:
Cognitive Area Focus on mental processes (moral thinking)
Nature vs Nurture Stage progression = nature; experiences = nurture
Determinism vs Free Will Moral development seen as stage-determined
Usefulness Useful for education & parenting
Ethical Issues Mostly ethical – uses interviews only
🔁 Comparison:
Lee et al. (1997)
Also studied moral development
Used real stories (truth-telling vs lying)
Found cultural differences (e.g. Chinese children rated modesty differently)
