Moral

development

Instructor: Nabeela Raza

Kohlberg’s stages of moral development
• Moral development refers to the changes in moral
beliefs as a person grows older and gains maturity.
Moral beliefs are related to, but not identical with, moral
behavior: it is possible to know the right thing to do, yet
not actually do what is right.
• Kohlberg identified three distinct levels of moral
reasoning: pre-conventional, conventional, and post-
conventional. Each level has two sub-stages.
• People can only pass through these levels in the order
listed. Each new stage replaces the reasoning typical of
the earlier stage. Not everyone achieves all the stages.
The 3 levels of moral reasoning include
Stages of Moral Development
Level 1 – Pre-conventional morality
• Pre-conventional morality is the first stage of moral development, and
lasts until approximately age 9. At the pre-conventional level children
don’t have a personal code of morality, and instead moral decisions are
shaped by the standards of adults and the consequences of following or
breaking their rules.
• For example, if an action leads to punishment is must be bad, and if it
leads to a reward is must be good.
• Authority is outside the individual and children often make moral
decisions based on the physical consequences of actions.
• • Stage 1. Obedience and Punishment Orientation. The
child/individual is good in order to avoid being punished. If a person is
punished, they must have done wrong.
• • Stage 2. Individualism and Exchange. At this stage, children
recognize that there is not just one right view that is handed down by the
authorities. Different individuals have different viewpoints.
 Level 2 - Conventional morality
• Conventional morality is the second stage of moral development, and
is characterized by an acceptance of social rules concerning right and
wrong. At the conventional level (most adolescents and adults), we
begin to internalize the moral standards of valued adult role models.
• Authority is internalized but not questioned, and reasoning is based
on the norms of the group to which the person belongs.
• A social system that stresses the responsibilities of relationships as
well as social order is seen as desirable and must, therefore,
influence our view of what is right and wrong.
• • Stage 3. Good Interpersonal Relationships. The child/individual
is good in order to be seen as being a good person by others.
Therefore, answers relate to the approval of others.
• • Stage 4. Maintaining the Social Order. The child/individual
becomes aware of the wider rules of society, so judgments concern
obeying the rules in order to uphold the law and to avoid guilt.
 Level 3 - Postconventional morality
• Postconventional morality is the third stage of moral development, and is characterized by an
individuals’ understanding of universal ethical principles. These are abstract and ill-defined, but
might include: the preservation of life at all costs, and the importance of human dignity.
• Individual judgment is based on self-chosen principles, and moral reasoning is based on
individual rights and justice. According to Kohlberg this level of moral reasoning is as far as
most people get.
• Only 10-15% are capable of the kind of abstract thinking necessary for stage 5 or 6 (post-
conventional morality). That is to say, most people take their moral views from those around
them and only a minority think through ethical principles for themselves.
• • Stage 5. Social Contract and Individual Rights. The child/individual becomes aware that
while rules/laws might exist for the good of the greatest number, there are times when they will
work against the interest of particular individuals.
• The issues are not always clear-cut. For example, in Heinz’s dilemma, the protection of life is
more important than breaking the law against stealing.
• • Stage 6. Universal Principles. People at this stage have developed their own set of moral
guidelines which may or may not fit the law. The principles apply to everyone.
• E.g., human rights, justice, and equality. The person will be prepared to act to defend these
principles even if it means going against the rest of society in the process and having to pay the
consequences of disapproval and or imprisonment. Kohlberg doubted few people reached this
stage.
 The Behavioral Perspective
• This perspective suggests that all behaviors are learned
through conditioning. Psychologists who take this
perspective rely firmly on the principles of operant
conditioning to explain how learning happens.
• For example, teachers might reward learning by giving
students tokens that can be exchanged for desirable items
such as candy or toys. The behavioral perspective
operates on the theory that students will learn when
rewarded for "good" behavior and punished for "bad"
behavior.
• Behaviorism relies on the prediction or analysis of behavior based on
causal stimuli, while education uses the process of positive and negative
reinforcement to encourage or discourage behaviors. This school of
thought emphasizes behavior's learned causes over its biological one;
therefore, behaviorism deeply values the ability of education to shape
individuals.
• Behaviorist learning theory distinguishes between classical and operative
conditioning. The former involves natural responses to environmental
stimuli, while the latter involves the reinforcement of a response to
stimuli. Using a process often called "programmatic instruction,"
educators use operative conditioning to reinforce positive and correct
negative learnings that often accompany classical conditioning.
• Behaviorist theories ascribe to a reductionist approach, which dictates
that breaking behavior down into parts is the best way to understand it.
Other schools of thought critique behaviorism for underemphasizing
biological and unconscious factors, denying free will, equating humans
with animals, and overlooking internal learning processes or types of
learning that occur without reinforcement.
• Behaviorism has significantly shaped the disciplines of
psychology and education, illuminating major influencing factors
in human behavior and learning. In psychology, both behavior
modification and behavior therapy owe their origins to
behaviorism.
• Meanwhile, behaviorist insights underlie many of the teaching
methods still used today in homes, classrooms, workplaces, and
other contexts. The widespread use of learning objectives, for
example, breaks down larger learning goals into a series of
specific skills and behaviors desired from a student.
• Behaviorism also influences the sequence and methods used
during the teaching and learning process. Teachers work toward
their desired objectives by using external stimuli, explaining and
demonstrating a skill or behavior, and then inviting student
practice and providing feedback that reinforces the behaviors or
skills they wish students to learn or unlearn.