Kohlberg

Question 1

Methodology

Answer 1

Undertook various studies on related to moral development using interviews to collect qualitative data. The study included cross-cultural comparisons and a longitudinal element.

• 75 american boys aged 10-16 years and men from 22-28
• Studied people in Great Britain, Canada, Taiwan, Mexico and Turkey

Question 2

Procedures

Answer 2

• Kohlberg created 9 hypothetical moral dilemmas to assess moral thinking
• Each dilemma presented a conflict between 2 moral issues
• Ppts were asked to discuss 3 of these dilemmas, prompted by 10+ open-ended questions
• Answers were analysed and common themes were identified so that stage theory could be conducted
• Each boy was re-interviewed every 3 years
• The same kind of interview was used with children and adults in other countries

Question 3

Findings

Answer 3

• Stage theory was constructed based on analysing boys answers. This is an account of how behaviours change at different ages
• 6 stages and 3 levels (pre-conventinional, conventional, post-conventional)
• Kohlberg found that: younger children thought at the preconventional level and as they got older reasons for moral decisions became less focused on themselves and more on doing good because relationships are important. The final level of development is related to moral principles
• Results in Taiwan and Mexico were the same except development was a little slower

Question 4

Conclusions

Answer 4

• Concluded that the key stages of moral development are invariant and universal meaning that people everywhere go through the same stages in the same order
• Each new stage represents a more equilibirated form of moral understanding resulting in a more logically consistent and morally mature form of understanding

Question 5

Evaluation

Answer 5

• Kohlberg’s theory based on interviews with boys yet its theories were applied to women as well. Beta bias
• Gilligan suggested that male and female morality may be different. Justice and caringness. More focused on relationships. Kohlberg devalues the female perspective.
• Jorgensen recognises Giligan’s critique as more of an expansion of Kohlberg’s theory rather than an alternative
• Gilligan criticised the research as it was not based off real life situations
• Self report methods: SDB, present their moral behaviour idealistically
• Kohlberg (1975), those who reason in a mature fashion should be inclined to morally mature behaviour
• When students were given the opportunity to cheat, 15% of college students at the post-conventional stage cheated compared to 70% at the preconventional stage
• HE, Burton concluded from their own research that factors other than moral principles affect moral behaviour such as likelihood of punishment