Morality Flashcards
Moral Development
Has an emotional, behavioral and cognitive component
Biological Theory of Moral Development
- States that morality could be biological. It has build in fairness and empathy
- Humans have been described as remarkably altruistic, meaning risking their won lives to help others
- Some belief that we may be biologically wired to help each other out
Frued Theory of Moral Development
- Believed in the phallic period, which is when your conscience develops (superego emerges)
- Believe that parents shape the morality of their child
- Believed in two types of conflict for girls and boys in terms of establishing their superego
- Boys: Superego forms during Oedipus Conflict
- Girls: Superego forms during Electra Conflict
Superego forms during Oedipus Conflict
- Boys are going to be sexually attractive to their moms
- Contradicted to anxiety and will then be identifying as their dads
Superego forms during Electra Conflict
- Girls angry towards mom die to penis envy
- Identified as there mom and repressed attraction to their dad
- The superego is not that strong as men (so they won’t have much of an ego)
Piaget Theory of Moral Development
- Believed that morality is developed though cognitive perspective (in reasoning)
Stages of Moral Reasoning:
1. Moral Realism (4-7 years)
2. Morality of Reciprocity (10 years+)
** Note: Ages 7 to 10 is the period of changing (transition) **
Moral Realism (4-7 years)
- Focus on rules as unchangeable
- Not much understanding of intention
- Belief in Immanent Justice, the idea that when you do something nasty, you will get punished in the future (karma)
Morality of Reciprocity (10 years+)
- Understand that rules can be changed
- Understand intention
- Stressed the importance of peers. Believed that morality develops due to the interaction with others (Boys are more able to navigate than compared to girls. Girls morality fell a little behind boys. Boys morality is slightly higher than girls. Boys more likely end the argument with discussing while girls end the arguing without any discussion)
Kolberg Theory of Moral Development
- Believed that morality is linked to cognition
- He developed his own stage theory of moral thinking
- Assess people’s reasoning through moral dilemmas
- Developed a hierarchical stage theory
- His original sample was entirely male
- Level 1: Pre - Conventional
- Obedience Punishment
- Market Place (Naive Hedonistic and Instrumental Morality_ - Level 2: Conventional
- Good girl/good boys (instrumental)
- Social order maintaining - Level 3: Principle (Post - Conventional)
- Social Contract
- Individual Principles
** Note: Problems with Kohlberg’s: Lack diversity and the amount of sample **
“Henz Dilemma”
- Kolberg uses the “Henz Dilemma”
- This man’s wife has cancer yet the medicine was too expensive
- Henz wanted to pay half now and pay half later but the cashier said no
- Poses a question: if he should break in and get the drug or dp something else
Level 1: Pre-Conventional – Obedience Punishment
- Behave they do due to the fear of punishment
- Focus in the consequences on what actions you take
- Make a decisions based on what is going to happen (as in the result of it)
Example: Steal money from mom, get a spanking
Level 1: Pre-Conventional – Market Place
- A bargaining stage
- “If you do this, you get that”
- Making decisions based on what you are going to received back from it
Example: My kid making his bed unless I but him chipotle
Level 2: Conventional – Good girl/Good boy (instrumental)
- Care about opinions of others especially family and friends
- Worry about others
Example: I am not going to cheat on the exam, because of what of my parents going to think of me
Level 2: Conventional - Social Order Maintaining
- Idea that you are focus on the laws and rules
- Believe rules are unchangeable
- Behave morally based on those rules/laws
Example: I am not going to drive 75mph, since the speed limit is 35mph
Level 3: Principle (Post - Conventional) – Social Contract
- The knowledge that when you make a rule, everyone agrees to it
- Focus on rules but knows that they can be flexible
Example: Playing Kickball - they all agreed to make an acceptation to let the kid skip the line so he can kick the ball
