...‘How effective is Kohlberg’s stage theory of moral development in explaining moral reasoning and moral behaviour?’ Morality refers to the ‘principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behaviour’ (Oxford dictionary, 2013). Moral development focuses on the way morality changes from childhood to adulthood. It consists of two things; moral reasoning and moral behaviour. Moral reasoning is when an individual tried to work out the difference between right and wrong by using logic. This is a process that is undertaken by people daily in their lives when faced with dilemmas and they need to make a decision based on the morality of the action and what the consequences could be. Moral behaviour is the way people can behave depending on their moral reasoning. Moral behaviour consists of four components; moral sensitivity, moral judgement, moral motivation and moral character. Many theories have been developed on moral development. These theories are based on an individual’s level of cognitive maturity. This essay focuses on Kohlberg’s theory of moral development, and aims to discuss how effective Kohlberg’s stage theory of moral development is, in explaining moral reasoning and moral behaviour. Kohlberg Developed the moral development theory based on Piaget’s theory. Piaget believed that moral development was only a two-staged theory; the first stage of his theory was common in childhood and was called the ‘Heteronomous’ stage. The general idea was...
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...Assignment 2: Incorporating Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development into the Justice System Alichia Dunaway Strayer University Ethics and Leadership in Criminal Justice CRJ 220 Professor Judy Tompkins August 16, 2015 Abstract The perception of justice is an affiliation that exists between the citizens and the state. Justice means that the state treats every person equally and seeks to find resolution in disputes. This resolution is found on the basis of the detailed facts and is compared to intent criteria, rather than a biased determination. It is based upon the civil rights and duty of individual persons, particularly law enforcement officers. Law enforcement officers employ the concept of justice occasionally, but they are not constantly fair. Law enforcement officers make mistakes just like any other human being. Justice in law enforcement includes an extensive array of recruits and agencies. This includes victim services, the police, department of corrections, crime prevention, the probation and parole departments, and the court system. In order for law enforcement to uphold a general clarity of justice, officers are obliged to have power over the moral capability to legally enforce laws, as well as to continue with admiration that is articulated by the department and its operation. Also, justice includes officers that respect and uphold the rights of citizens. A potion they shall accept on and off the job. Additionally, officers must arrest suspects contained...
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...Moral Development in Management Hai Dao MGMT-8010-1: Management in Human and Societal Development Dr. Donna Brown Walden University June 29th 2014 Moral Development in Management Today organizations face great challenges in managing their workforces effectively. With the trend of globalization in business, managers are required to update their knowledge and education on how to make the most use of organizational resources, including human and materials. However, humans are probably the most important resources of any organization. They are the ones to operate equipments; handle materials; and produce output. They are also the ones to provide customer service and receive feedback that can be useful for the organization. With that said, management has evolved over the years to adapt to the human development within organizations. Many theories have been applied to help managers manage their workforce more effectively. One of the theories that will be addressed in this paper is Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory of moral development, because one believes that moral development of people is related the success of the organization. Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development The main concept of Kohlberg’s theory of moral development is that it “extended Piaget’s theory, proposing that moral development is a continual process that occurs throughout the lifespan” (Cherry, n.d.). Indeed, learning never ends, especially when people are trying to adapt to the changing environment of the workforce...
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...Summary of Kohlberg’s Theory Tiffany Easterling, Sandra Maxey, and Nakeia Trimble PSYCH/600 – Developmental Psychology October 5, 2014 Vicki Koenig Abstract How the development of morality in children develops has been a big question for parents and philosophers for decades. The issue of moral development has been and has become a hot topic within education and psychology. “One of the best known theories was developed by a psychologist named Lawrence Kohlberg who modified and expanded up Jean Piaget’s work to form a theory that explained how children develop moral reasoning” (Cherry, 2014). Moral development was described in two stages by Piaget. Kohlberg took those two stages described by Piaget and elaborated on them. The theory of moral development, which is described by Kohlberg, outlines three levels with six stages. Kohlberg believes that political liberalism “will not be replaced by a new ideology of the West but will continue to be its dominant ideology for the next century” (Crain, 1985). Kohlberg’s proposed moral development is a process that is continuous and occurs over the period of a person’s lifetime. “Furthermore, Kohlberg believes that the liberalistic concept of justice represents a higher conceptualization of justice in the same sense in which a higher developmental stage in morality represents a higher understanding of justice” (Crain, 1985). However, Carol Gilligan a well-known psychologist, ethicist, and feminist is against Kohlberg’s theories...
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...17, 2014 DSSA100M Kohlberg’s Development Theory In my personal opinion Kohlberg’s theory was well thought out. He believed that people progress in life through a series of stages. Kohlberg’s theory was put into six different stages and classified into three separate levels. Kohlberg’s theory is very accurate due to the fact that all though some kids may be in a more challenging group than the stage they are meant to be in, that gives us a measurement of how maturity can be major factor. Kohlberg’s stages are based on different levels; level one is pre-conventional, stage one is obedience and punishment orientation (how can one avoid punishment), Stage two is self-interest orientation (what’s in it for me), level two is conventional, stage three is interpersonal accord and conformity (social norms), stage four is authority and social order maintaining orientation (law and order morality), level three is post conventional- stage five is social contract orientation, and lastly stage six is universal ethical principles (principled conscience). Kohlberg’s stages are reasons we have morals, you basically go through six stages to become more knowledgeable about life. Stage one is most crucial in growing up. Obedience- kids should be frightened of getting punished, one can have religious morals where they don’t partake in some activities because they are scared “God will send them to hell.” Stage two is dealing with self-interest, in this stage you realize what is good and...
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... Developmental Theory Analysis Moral development is an aspect of a person’s overall development that occurs over the course of a lifetime. There have been a number of theories that describe how and when moral development occurs in individuals; however, a theory that has become well known and widely accepted in the field of student affairs as well as psychology is Lawrence Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development. Lawrence Kohlberg was a developmental theorist of the mid-twentieth century who is best known for his specific and detailed theory of children's moral development. His work continues to be influential today and contemporary research has generally supported his theory. He believed his stages of moral development to be universal. This paper explores the strengths, weaknesses, and research of what others had to say about this theory. The many strengths of Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development include when a person reaches adulthood, they should have a good idea about the personal and social behavior. It also examines the ability to test and individual where they are in their moral development along with offering a structure for creating “just communities,” both within and outside of student affairs. It also focuses on educating young adults and their sense of intellectual and moral development. There are also several weaknesses to Kohlberg’s theory. One states that it was originally based on Piaget’s theory which...
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...Outline and evaluate Kohlberg’s theory of moral development (8+16 marks) Lawrence Kohlberg was influenced by Piaget’s theory of moral development where he also believed that the moral reasoning of children changes over time; he also used moral dilemmas to gather insight into the types of reasoning used by people as they mature. Kohlberg proposed six separate stages of moral development which he grouped together into three levels with the key points of this theory being that the stages are universal and invariant-people everywhere go through the same stages in the same order, each new stage represents a more equilibrated form of moral understanding resulting in a more logically consistent and morally mature form of understanding., each stage forms an organised whole-a qualitatively different pattern of moral understanding that is applied across all situations, and that moral maturity is achieved through biological maturation, disequilibrium, and gains in perspective taking. The first level is known as the pre-conventional level where children accept the rules of authority figures and judge actions by their consequences; actions that result in punishments are bad and those that bring rewards are good. Stage 1 of this level is the punishment and obedience orientation where this style of morality ignores the intentions behind a behaviour and focuses on obeying rules that enforced by punishment. The second stage to this level is the instrumental purpose orientation where children...
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...Union College Sta. Cruz, Laguna Experimental Psychology “Cheating and its effects on the Moral Sensibility” Of Criminology and Education Students In Union College Submitted by: Submitted to: Carable, Cris Madel Mrs. Bituin Gracia Z. Almonte Blanca, Jan Marinie Padua, Carla May Statements of the Problem: This study aimed to compare the effects of cheating on the moral sensibility of criminology and education students in Union College. Introduction: Moral Sensibility as define refers to our response towards what is right or wrong. Because man is believed—by nature is good but morally weak, he endures all the temptations through his life. Cheating is considered as one of those as one of those which lower the moral sensibility of students, it is also a serious problem that has negative educational, social, and psychological effects. Educationally, cheating is contrary to the spirit if higher education, especially in developing and promoting moral values and attitudes. Socially, cheating is unacceptable behavior to get something with no right. Cheating is also not only affects students who cheated but also other students as it forces them to live in an unfair system. The good thing is that by learning the consequences of this action, students learn to value fairness and honesty even more. Psychologically, cheating may cause an instability in a student’s values, potentially resulting in serious psychological problems, such as feelings of being guilty and with shame but...
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...Freud Psychosexual Development In Freudian psychology, psychosexual development is a central element of the psychoanalytic sexual drive theory, that human beings, from birth, possess an instinctual libido (sexual energy) that develops in five stages. Each stage – the oral, the anal, thephallic, the latent, and the genital – is characterized by the erogenous zone that is the source of the libidinal drive. Sigmund Freud proposed that if the child experienced sexual frustration in relation to any psychosexual developmental stage, he or she would experience anxiety that would persist into adulthood as a neurosis, a functional mental disorder. Stages of Development Stage | Age Range | Erogenous zone | Consequences of psychologic fixation | Oral | Birth–1 year | Mouth | Orally aggressive: chewing gum and the ends of pencils, etc. Orally Passive: smoking, eating, kissing, oral sexual practices[4] Oral stage fixation might result in a passive, gullible, immature, manipulativepersonality. | Anal | 1–3 years | Bowel and bladderelimination | Anal retentive: Obsessively organized, or excessively neat Anal expulsive: reckless, careless, defiant, disorganized, coprophiliac | Phallic | 3–6 years | Genitalia | Oedipus complex (in boys and girls); according to Sigmund Freud.Electra complex (in girls); according to Carl Jung. | Latency | 6–puberty | Dormant sexual feelings | Sexual unfulfillment if fixation occurs in this stage. | Genital | Puberty–death | Sexual interests mature...
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...The dispute between Lawrence Kohlberg and Carol Gilligan influenced the subject of moral development following Gilligan’s 1982 book, “In a Different Voice,” one of the first to question male-centered psychological research. The distinction between Kohlberg and Gilligan comes down to whether males and females define “morality” differently. Men focusing on justice concerns, according to Kohlberg, and females more focused on caring and relationship needs, according to Gilligan. Theories on how people grow morally became the center of attention of psychology when Jean Piaget first studied how people's reasoning and logical skills evolve throughout their lifetime. Kohlberg liked Piaget’s approach and his next step was to perform research studies in the 1960s, he used the concluding data to develop a model of six “universal” stages through which individuals develop morally. By the late 1970s, his representation of moral development was the dominant view. But females constantly achieved Stage 3 when tested with his model, while men constantly scored at Stages 4 and 5. Gilligan, an old- student of Kohlberg’s, observed that the research and data was based off of tests performed on boys only, and argued whether women were really “morally inferior,” as test scores suggested. So, putting together her own research, she created an alternative model. The dispute mainly focuses around Gilligan’s statement that female psychology and values, including how women come to define morality, contrast...
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...Cognitive Development in Early Childhood Early childhood is not only a period of amazing physical growth, it is also a time of remarkable mental development. Cognitive abilities associated with memory, reasoning, problem-solving and thinking continue to emerge throughout childhood. When it comes to childhood cognitive development, it would be impossible to avoid mentioning the work of psychologist Jean Piaget. After receiving his doctoral degree at age 22, Jean Piaget began a career that would have a profound impact on both psychology and education. Through his work with Alfred Binet, Piaget developed an interest in the intellectual development of children. Based upon his observations, he concluded that children are not less intelligent than adults, they simply think differently. Albert Einstein called Piaget's discovery "so simple only a genius could have thought of it."Piaget created a theory of cognitive development that described the basic stages that children go through as they mentally mature. He believed that children are like "little scientists," actively trying to make sense of the world rather than simply soaking up information passively. Schemas One of the key concepts in Piaget's theory is the use of schemas. According to Piaget,schemas are cognitive frameworks or concepts that help people organize and interpret information. As experiences happen, this new information is used to modify, add to or completely change previously existing schemas. For example, a young...
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...AO2’s | 1 | Kohlberg’s theory of moral development is based upon the principles of cognitive development proposed by Piaget. This suggests behaviour is driven by cognitive processing | 1 | Kohlberg’s investigative methods were more systematic than Piaget and therefore the explanation may have greater objectivity. | 2 | Similar to Piaget, Kohlberg suggests that moral development occurs in invariant stages which are culturally universal. | 2 | Snarey’s meta-analysis, which covered both collectivist and individualist cultures, supported the idea that these stages are universal in all cultures. | | | 3 | However, other research has suggested that the theory is culturally biased and Eurocentric. | | | 4 | Kohlberg takes a social constructivist approach to moral development, which means behaviour is affected by interaction This means that ‘good’ development can be promoted and ‘bad’ development can be addressed with therapy. | 3 | Kohlberg suggested that the process is driven by a gradual maturation of thinking skills which enable the individual to take different perspectives. | 5 | Whereas Piaget’s theory suggests that cognitive development occurs until about 12, Kohlberg’s theory of moral development suggests that it continues into adulthood. | 4 | Kohlberg also stated that development necessitates environmental and social interaction. | 6 | Therefore, Kohlberg is incorporating the theories of both Piaget and Vygotsky into the theory of moral development. | 5 | Kohlberg...
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...Theories of Development and Application General Psychology, PSY101 Theories of Development and Application Understanding the theories of development is key in psychology. Everyone proceeds through specific areas of change and growth in key areas as they go through life. Whatever path is taken during life, understanding theories of development will assist us in motivating and guiding others, as well as understanding ourselves. The following theories of development will be applied to this author’s personal life experience: Jean Piaget’s Stage Theory of Cognitive Development, Developmental Stage Theory of Erik Erikson, Lawrence Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development, and Developmental Milestone: Motor Development will all be briefly explained. This author will provide examples of ways thinking has shifted to indicate entering the Formal Operational Thought stage. One stage of Erik Erikson’s Developmental Stage Theory will be chosen and will be applied to this author’s personal life. One decision this author made that was based on Kohlberg’s three levels of moral development will be described. Finally, based on a child this author has known, the description of this child has progressed from rolling over, sitting, standing and walking. This is also known as the four developmental milestones. Jean Piaget’s Stage Theory of Cognitive Development Jean Piaget is a psychologist who “identified stages of mental development, called Schema, and established the fields of...
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...Case Study 2-4 Better Boston Beans Lisa Clanin The Ethics Environment ACCT 530 Week 3 Date: September 21, 2013 Better Boston Beans Dilemma With this particular case study I will discuss several questions and facts regarding Better Boston Beans. 1) A brief summary of the case. 2) Briefly explain the Six Pillars of Character. 3) Evaluate the actions of the parties from the perspective of six pillars of character. 4) evaluate the actions from the perspective of Kohlberg's six stages of moral development and what ethical reasoning can you develop from this case? The case takes place in a coffee shop located in Boston’s famous Faneuil Hall Marketplace called Better Boston Beans. In this particular case Cindi is a recent college graduate that wants to experience “the real world”1 while making up her mind about grad school. She has been at the coffee shop for six months and has been thinking that it may be time to apply to grad school due to the actions of the assistant shift manager, Lyndell has made it a habit of late to leave early thus leaving Cindi to handle customers and close on her own. Cindi has not spoken to the supervisor about Lyndell’s behavior but is considering doing so because of it is becoming a regular habit and has affected customer service. One night after Lyndell had already left a group of tourists came in and commented on the fact such a famous American coffee shop has only one person working. Cindi told the customer that her coworker was ill...
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...Siddhartha's Journey and Kohlberg’s Moral Development "Morality is the ability to see an issue from points of view other than just your own.” This quote by Lawrence Kohlberg shows the importance of understanding you position in the field of not only your morality but the morality of others and how they influence you. In Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha, Siddhartha’s voyage to find his Self closely follows Lawrence Kohlberg’s Levels of Moral Development by the different moral stages Siddhartha experiences throughout his journey. Kohlberg’s theory is split into three levels each with two stages. The first level is Pre-conventional morality with stage one: Obedience and punishment orientation, and stage two: Instrumental Orientation. Which basically...
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