Kohlberg Flashcards
Whose stages of cognitive development is Kohlberg’s theory of moral development based on?
Jean Piaget
What are the three levels of moral reasoning proposed by Kohlberg?
Pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional morality
How many stages are there in each level of Kohlberg’s moral reasoning?
Two separate stages
What was the research question of Kohlberg’s research?
Can changes in the development of moral reasoning be measured?
What was the method of Kohlberg’s research?
Longitudinal research using self report.
How many boys from Chicago were followed in the study?
75 boys
Over how many years were the boys from Chicago followed?
12 years
At what intervals were the boys from Chicago assessed?
3-year intervals
What was the age range of the boys from Chicago at the start of the study?
10-16 years old
To what ages were the boys from Chicago followed?
22-28 years old
Which other countries were included in the study besides the USA?
Great Britain, Canada, Taiwan, Mexico, and Turkey
What are the three levels of moral reasoning?
Pre-conventional, Conventional, Post-conventional
What characterizes Stage 1 of the Pre-conventional level?
Goodness or badness is determined by consequences; an act is not bad if one can get away with it.
What characterizes Stage 2 of the Pre-conventional level?
Children conform to rules to gain rewards and do nice things for others if they think it will benefit them.
What is the focus of Stage 3 in the Conventional level?
Children obey rules to gain praise, often referred to as the ‘good girl/good boy’ stage.
What is the focus of Stage 4 in the Conventional level?
The idea that rules should be obeyed because social order and laws are very important.
What characterizes Stage 5 of the Post-conventional level?
Moral actions express the will of the majority and maximize social welfare (democracy).
What is Stage 6 in the Post-conventional level called?
Universal ethical principles, marked by self-determined moral principles based on universal justice and respect for human rights.
What is the main focus of the procedure described?
Measuring moral reasoning.
What is the moral dilemma presented in the scenario involving Heinz?
Heinz’s wife is dying, and he needs a drug that he cannot afford.
What did Heinz offer the chemist in exchange for the drug?
He asked if he could have the drug cheaper or pay the rest of the money later.
What was the chemist’s response to Heinz’s request?
The chemist refused to lower the price or allow deferred payment.
What desperate action did Heinz take to obtain the drug?
He broke into the chemist’s and stole the drug.
What was one of the questions asked in Kohlberg’s Study?
Should Heinz have stolen the drug?
What was another question asked in Kohlberg’s Study?
Would it change anything if Heinz did not love his wife?
What was a question regarding the identity of the person in Kohlberg’s Study?
What if the person dying was a stranger, would it make a difference?
What question was asked about the chemist in Kohlberg’s Study?
Should the police arrest the chemist for murder if the woman died?
What did Kohlberg analyze to determine a child’s level of morality?
The reasoning behind their answers.
What might a child in stage 1 of moral reasoning say about Heinz stealing the drug?
‘Heinz shouldn’t steal the drug because he might go to jail.’
What might a teenager in stage 4 of moral reasoning say about Heinz stealing the drug?
‘Heinz shouldn’t steal the drug because it’s against the law.’
What might an adult in stage 5 of moral reasoning say about Heinz stealing the drug?
‘Heinz should steal the drug because it’s his duty to save his wife’s life - her life is more important than the law.’
How many levels and stages of moral reasoning are there?
There are three levels and six stages of moral reasoning.
Can people pass through the levels of moral reasoning in any order?
No, people can only pass through the levels in the order listed.
What happens to the reasoning typical in an earlier stage when someone reaches a new stage of moral reasoning?
Each new stage replaces the reasoning typical in an earlier stage.
Do all individuals reach all stages of moral reasoning?
Not everyone reaches all the stages.
