Kohlberg Flashcards
What is the name of Kohlberg’s research?
The child as a moral philosopher
Who is Kohlberg?
A developmental psychologist (focus on how people change as the get older)
- cognitive psychologist because moral behaviour is governed by the way we think about moral situations
- influenced by Piaget that saw development go through stages
What were the aims of Kohlberg’s research?
To investigate the development of moral reasoning in children in order to create a series of stages that could apply to all
Methodology of Kohlberg’s research
- longitudinal study over a period of 12 years
- 75 young American males were interviewed every 3 years- semi-structured
- Ps aged 10-26 years old at the start and 22-28 by the end
- compared males from USA to Canada, UK, Mexico, Turkey, Taiwan
= cross-cultural
Procedure of Kohlberg’s research
- each child presented with 9 moral dilemmas
- decide on correct course of action, what the moral thing to do is
- each dilemma involved conflict between 2 moral issues
- asked to discuss these issues
- asked a series of specific open ended questions
- type of semi-structured interview
- responses analysed and general themes identified (content analysis)
- themes used as a basis for the stages of moral development
- similar interview every 3 years and changes in moral reasoning recorded
- compared findings with those from other cultures to see if cultural differences in moral development
What is an example of one of the moral dilemmas used?
Should Heinz steal radium to save his wife’s life?
Findings of Kohlberg’s research
Developed a stage model of moral development
- stages come one at a time and always in order
- all movement is forward, cannot skip a stage
- may stop at any given stage
How were these stages split?
All separated into 2 sub stages giving a total of 6
1- Preconventional
2- Conventional
3- Postconventional
Preconventional level
Morality based on actions and direct consequences
- children only see morality in terms of how actions will affect themselves
- do not understand society’s conventions regarding right and wrong
What are the names of the 2 stages in the preconventional level?
1- Obedience and punishment orientation
2- The instrumental purpose orientation
Preconventional level
1- Obedience and punishment orientation
Only concerned about being punished
- no human meaning or value determines goodness or badness
Preconventional level
2- Instrumental purpose
Satisfying their own needs and occasionally others
- fairness, reciprocity
- you scratch my back and I will scratch yours
Conventional level
Individual will assess morality by comparing it with society’s views and expectations
- individual accepts and obeys and accepts society’s norms and rules often without question even if the rule may seem unfair or inappropiate
What are stages 3 and 4 in the conventional level?
3- Interpersonal cooperation
4- The social order maintaining orientation
Conventional level
3- Interpersonal cooperation
Good behaviour pleases/helps others- approved
- conformity to stereotypical image
- judged by intention
- approval of being ‘nice’
Conventional level
4- Social order maintaining
Fixed rules
- doing your duty
- respect for authority
- maintain social order
- earn respect by performing dutifully
Postconventional level
Growing realisation that individuals are separate from society
- society’s views may come in to conflict with individual ones
- I may take precedence over society, disobeying society’s conventions can be seen as acceptable
- morality is now judged by abstract concepts such as liberty, justice, basic human rights
- rules seen as useful but do not need to be adhered to absolutely and may be changed
- morality is based in I’s moral evaluation rather than S’s rules
- many people never reach this stage and may adults stay in stage 4
What are stages 5 and 6 in the postconventional level?
5- Social contract
6- Universal ethical principles
Postconventional level
5- Social contract
Right action
- relativism
- general laws and their own personal views
Postconventional level
6- Universal ethical principles
Decisions of conscience
- ethical principles
- logical comprehensiveness
- universal principles of justice, equality
- respect for dignity of human beings
What were the cross-cultural findings of Kohlberg’s research?
Stages are universal
- differences in how quickly children progress through stages
Age 16- most of USA sample were in stage 4 or 5, in Taiwan and Mexico, most children are stage 3 or 4
- MC children in all cultures progressed quicker than LC
- religion had no effect
What conclusions can we make from Kohlberg’s research?
Stages are invariant and universal
- fixed in the same order
- same stages across all cultures
- some my not reach the final stage
Children at a particular stage of development tend to move forward in their moral reasoning when confronted by the views of a child one stage along
- argument between 3 and 4 the 3 stage tends to move forward, stage 4 child understand but does not accept the argument of s3
Moral discussion could therefore help children develop their moral reasoning
Evaluation: Kohlberg methodology
X Ecological (external) validity
Gilligan- not based on real life decisions
x cannot relate to love and marriage- Heinz, too young to experience
x more valid if they ask about stealing toys, relatable
Gilligan interview on moral dilemmas e.g. abortion, more valid
- more accurate to themselves and less bias, direct experience
ALL HYPOTHETICAL, ETHICAL, NO HARM
X lacks external validity, findings may reflect bias, invalid results if child does not understand the question they have been asked
Evaluation: Kohlberg methodology
X Internal Validity
Used self-report methods
x semi-structured gains depth but may felt pressured to answer in a certain way to Qs asked- social desirability bias
X results less valid, not how child would actually act but how the R would want them to
- benefits R can explain Qs if C doesn’t understand what they are being asked
X does not make result more valid if they are due to social desirability bias
