KOHLBERG: CHILD as the MORAL PHILOSOPHER

Question 1

AIM

Answer 1

show how, as young adolescents develop into young men they move through distinct levels and stages of moral development

Question 2

METHODOLOGY

Answer 2

longitudinal study which followed the development of the same group of 75 American boys from chicago, for 12 years from 10-16 yrs and again at 22-28 yrs

undertook interviews to collect qualitative data that included corss-cultural comparisons; studied moral development in other cultures GREAT BRITIAN, CANADA, TAIWAN, MEXICO and TURKEY

Question 2

PROCEDURE

Answer 2

1. he created 9 HYPOTHETICAL DILEMMAS (all purposefully philosophical)
2. each PPs was asked to discuss THREE of the dilemmas, prompted by around 10 OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS: ‘should Heinz steal the drug?’, ‘should he steal the drug for a stranger?’
3. the answers to such questions were analysed and common themes were identified so that the stage theory could be constructed
4. each boy was re-interviewed every 3 years- interviews lasted 2 hours (58 were followed for 20 years)

Question 3

FINDINGS
PRE-CONVENTIONAL LEVEL, estimated 9 years and younger

Answer 3

children accept the rules of authority figures and judge actions by their consequences, actions that resulted in punishment was bad, those that bring rewards were good

Question 4

FINDINGS
CONVENTIONAL LEVEL, estimated 9-18 years

Answer 4

individuals continue to believe that conformity to social rules are desirable, but this is not out of self- interest. Maintaining the current social system ensures positive human r’ships and social order

Question 5

FINDINGS
POST-CONVENTIONAL LEVEL, estimated 18 and over

Answer 5

this individual moves beyond questioning compliance with norms of their own social system. The individual now defines morality in terms of abstract moral principles that apply to all societies and situations

Question 6

CONCLUSIONS

Answer 6

• stages are universal and invariant, meaning everyone goes through them, whatever their culture in the same order
• each new stage represents a more equilibrium form of moral understanding, meaning that the child is able to weigh up moral dilemmas in a balanced way: becoming more logical and mature

-discussing moral dilemmas with children will result in them moving forward in the next stage

Question 7

STRENGTHS of VALIDITY in this research

Answer 7

(+)HIGH INTERNAL VALIDITY due to the face value questions, staying coherent with the aim of the study

Question 8

WEAKNESSES of VALIDITY in this study

Answer 8

(-) LOW INTERNAL VALIDITY as it measures language and cognitive development rather than moral development, such as the children might not be able to express themselves fully due to them not having the terminology for it

Question 9

STRENGTHS of the METHODOLOGY in this study

Answer 9

(+) LONGITUDINAL DESIGN provides a picture over multiple years, showing the development of time: providing HIGH RELIABILITY

Question 10

WEAKNESSES of the METHODOLOGY in this study

Answer 10

(-) PPS may drop out due to the extreme length of the study which can affect the sample and its representativeness

Question 11

STRENGTHS of INTERVIEWS in this study

Answer 11

(+) provides high internal validity as the qualitative nature provides a greater insight into the child’s response, which is useful when tackling a extremely complex topic

Question 12

WEAKNESSES of INTERVIEWS in this study

Answer 12

(-) can have low internal validity due to a risk of demand characteristics, as a result of the children wanting to please the researcher which would give unreliable results

Question 13

STRENGTHS of the SAMPLE in this study

Answer 13

(+) high population validity
- allows comparisons to be made across differing countries and cultures with various social norms

Question 14

WEAKNESSES of the SAMPLE in this study

Answer 14

(-) was all male
- Gilligan (1982) says that this study actually showed the moral development of men
- led to to a gender biased theory that does not represent both males and females

Question 15

HOW is VALID CONSENT a CONCERN in this study?

Answer 15

• use of children require parental consent
• this was in place but due to the longitudinal aspect of the study further consent will be needed

Question 16

HOW is RISK OF HARM a concern in this study?

Answer 16

• the dilemmas are potentially distressing
• extra care should be taken with children as they are vulnerable
• its not clear that Kolhberg considered this

Question 17

EXPLAIN ethical issues that may arise in DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGICAL research, such as KOHLBERG’s (1968) ‘THE CHILD AS A MORAL PHILOSOPHER’

Answer 17

Research in DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY often involves children. If they are under 16, they are considered vulnerable Pps and ethical guidelines state that extra consideration should be given around consent. KOHLBERG’s participants were under 16 and so would need the consent of a parent or guardian to ensure they were protected from harm.

Children may be more likely to be DISTRESSED by material that would be acceptable for adults, which is a common issue in developmental psychology.In Kohlberg’s research, the moral dilemmas could appear very distressing for children, especially when they are being asked to make a decision on how they would act. The BPS state that children should be given EXTRA PROTECTION because of this and the researcher should carefully consider if the material is suitable for the age of the child taking part.