Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development Flashcards
What did Kohlberg attempt to explain?
Why people made certain choices.
What did Kohlberg believe?
That everyone goes through the stages he proposed in the same order and that progression through them is dependent on appropriate levels of cognitive development.
What research did Kohlberg conduct to prove his theory?
He interviewed 58 boys from Chicago at age 7, 10, 13, and 16. They were asking to solve 10 moral dilemmas during their 2 hour interview. Some of these boys were again interviewed between age 30 and 36.
What type of study did Kohlberg conduct?
A longitudinal study.
What are the three main stages of morality?
1) Pre-conventional.
2) Conventional.
3) Post-conventional.
What is the pre-conventional stage of development?
This is where an individual has not yet developed their own personal code of morality and instead they accept the standards set by adults.However, they do take into account consequences of rule-breaking.
What does Kohlberg suggest about criminals in terms of moral develpoment?
Kohlberg proposed that criminals were stuck and did not surpass the first stage of moral development.
What are the two main evaluation points for Kohlberg’s theory?
+ Research evidence (Kegan, 1986).
- Ethnocentric and gender-biased.
