Kohlberg (1969) Flashcards
what were Jean Piaget’s theorised two levels of moral thinking
- heteronomous moral thinking
- autonomous moral reasoning
Describe heteronomous moral thinking
it weighs the outcome of an action to determine how bad it is. the higher the magnitude of the consequences, the worse the action is and the worse they should be punished
describe autonomous moral reasoning
takes into account the intent of the person committing the action. the worse their intent the worse they should be punished
what was the aim of Kohlberg’s study
to provide research that would back up his theory of moral development
describe the sample from the US in Kohlbergs study
- 75 boys, aged 10-16 until they were aged 22-28
(the same boys for 12 years)
Describe the procedure of Kohlbergs study
- each boy presented with moral dilemmas (such as the Heinz dilemma) every 3 years for 12 years
- using answers given, the boys were ranked in 6 categories if around 50% of their responses to any of the concepts fell into that specific stage
- ranked from 1-6 (least-most morally devleoped)
what type of research was Kohlbergs study
longitudinal
Why was Kohlbergs study longitudinal (in terms of the US)
it followed a number of participants (75) over an extended period of time (12 years)
name two strengths of longitudinal studies
- same participants used reduces the effects of participant variables
- it can show the development of individuals and how these differ through gender, culture, environment, etc..
name three weaknesses of longitudinal studies
- time consuming
- can have a low retention rate ( people may drop out before the end of the study) - risk of ‘panel attrition’
- it requires a large sample size to be valid
name the other countries Kohlberg collected data in
- malaysia
- mexico
- turkey
- the united kingdom
- taiwan
- canada
name 3 strengths of cross-cultural studies (for Kohlberg)
- enables Kohlberg to demonstrate that his theory of moral development doesn’t just apply to americans
- reduces ethnocentrism
- comparisons can be made to generalise the results
name 3 weaknesses of cross-cultural studies
- cost implications and a language barrier to overcome
- moral dilemmas may be too culture bound to the USA
- lots of effort and time required to conduct the experiment
name the six stages of Moral Reasoning
- obedience and punishment orientation
- self-interest orientation
- conformity to expectations and rules
- authority and social order orientation
- social contract orientation
- universal ethical principles
describe stage one of moral reasoning
the child is responsive to cultural norms but is able to behave in an immoral; way if authoritarial structure is missing
describe the thoughts in stage one of moral reasoning
’ how can i avoid punishment?’ ‘is this action good or bad?’
describe stage two of moral reasoning
the child behaves in a self-centered way (what action brings benefit to them)
describe the childs thoughts in stage two of moral reasoning
’ whats in it for me?’ ‘what will i get in return?’
describe stage three of moral reasoning
the child is now seeking approval from others and beginning to consider the intention of the act
describe the childs thoughts in stage three of moral reasoning
‘what does everyone say is right and wrong?’ ‘i am a good girl/boy’
describe stage four of moral reasoning
child now sees right behaviour as adults in order to show respect and maintain social order. laws are not set in stone.
describe the childs thoughts in stage four of moral reasoning
’ i must do what is right and make sure everyone else does too’ ‘ i must respect others by doing the right thing’
describe stage five of moral reasoning
the child now does what is right based on laws plus on personal values and opinions. sees laws as changeable.
describe the childs thinking in stage five of moral reasoning
‘there is a difference between law and morality’ ‘laws can be questioned’ ‘what makes laws right is whether it promotes social utility’
describe stage six of moral reasoning
child now bases judgement on universal human rights of justice, equality, reciprocity, and respect for the individual
describe the childs thinking in stage six of moral reasoning
‘all individuals have value, even those that don’t value themselves’ ‘we should be wary of ethical positions that could potentially involve sacrificing the well-being of an individual for the well-being of the majority
what level of moral reasoning does stage one and two fit into
pre-conventional
what level of moral reasoning does stage three and four fit into
conventional
what level of moral reasoning does stage five and six fit into
post-conventional
what four conclusion did Kohlberg make about moral development
- the stages follow an ‘invariant development sequence’ (come one at a time and always in the same order)
- all movement is forward and doesnt skip steps
- nature of the sequence is not significantly affected by widely varying social, cultural or religious conditions
- moral thought behaves like all other kinds of thoughts. takes into account everything in the previous stage and organises them into a more comprehensive and equilibrated structure.
