Moral Development
3
Components of Morality
1. emotional component
2. cognitive component
3. behavioral component
Piaget's
Theory of Moral Development
*
moral realism (heteronomous
morality):
children view rules as real, indestructible
things
*
moral relativism (autonomous morality):
rules are viewed as agreements that may
be
changed
Kohlberg's 3 Levels of Moral Reasoning
I.
Pre-conventional
*
judgment are based on one's own needs and
perceptions
A.
punishment & obedience orientation
1. fear of authority and avoidance
of punishment
B.
instrumental purpose orientation
1. satisfying personal needs
determines moral choice
II.
Conventional
Level
*
taking into account expectations of
society and law
A.
good boy/girl orientation
1. maintaining the affection and
approval of friends & relatives motivates good
behavior
B.
social-order-maintaining orientation
1. a duty to uphold laws and rules
for their own sake justifies moral conformity
III.
Post-conventional
Level
*
judgments are based on principles that go beyond
specific laws
A.
social contract orientation
1. fair procedures for changing
laws to protect individual rights and the needs of the
majority are emphasized
B.
universal ethical principle orientation
1. abstract universal principles
that are valid for all humanity guide moral decision
making
Cheating
Example
She has not been doing very well and is considering cheating
on an upcoming math test. Should
she cheat on the exam?
Sample
Responses to Cheating Example
*
No: If caught, she will be punished.
(Stage 1: punishment & obedience orientation)
*
Yes: She will get a higher grade.
(Stage 2: instrumental purpose orientation)
*
Yes: A high grade will please her parents.
(Stage 3: good boy/girl orientation)
*
No: Cheating is against the rules.
(Stage 4: social-order-maintaining orientation)
*
No: Cheating is unfair to other students.
(Stage 5: social contract orientation)
*
No: Cheating is wrong in principle.
(Stage 6: universal ethical principle orientation)
Criticisms
of Kohlberg
*
not everyone reaches postconventional level
*
cultural differences
*
sex differences: females' morality
judgments are based on concern for others, not justice
Carol Gilligan's Criticisms
*
Kohlberg's theory of moral development is not true for girls
*
boys and girls are taught to value
different qualities
*
both styles of moral reasoning are
equally valid
Carol Gilligan on Kohlberg's Theory
"Kohlberg's six stages that describe the development of
moral judgment from childhood to
adulthood are based empirically on a study of
eighty-four boys whose development Kohlberg has
followed for a period of over twenty years.
Although Kohlberg claims universality for his stage
sequence, those groups not included in his
original sample rarely reach his higher stages.
Prominent among those who thus appear to be deficient in
moral development when measured by
Kohlberg's scale are women, whose
judgments seem to exemplify the third stage of his six-stage
sequence. At this stage morality is
conceived in interpersonal terms and goodness is equated with
helping and pleasing others. This
conception of goodness is considered by Kohlberg and Kramer
to be functional in the lives of
mature women insofar as their lives take place in the home.
Kohlberg and Kramer imply that only if women enter the
traditional arena of male activity will
they recognize the inadequacy of this
moral perspective and progress like men toward higher
stages where relationships are
subordinated to rules (stage four) and rules to universal principles
of justice (stages five and six).
"Yet herein lies a paradox, for the very traits that
traditionally have defined the
"goodness" of women,
their care for and sensitivity to the needs of others, are those that mark
them as deficient in moral development.
In this version of moral development, however, the
conception of maturity is derived from the
study of men's lives and reflects the importance of
individuation in their development." [p. 18 in
In a Different Voice
by Carol Gilligan (1982)]
Male
Moral Reasoning (Gilligan)
*
boys think more in terms of how to apply
general ethical principles to specific moral
situations
*
boys learn to emphasize independence,
autonomy, and the rights of others
*
thus, boys tend to ignore or minimize
the possible needs of others
Female Moral Reasoning (Gilligan)
*
girls tend to develop an
ethics of care
(integrates moral principles w/ the
contexts in which
judgments are made)
*
viewing ethics in context grows out of a
general concern for the needs of others more than for
one's independence
Two
Moral Voices (Gilligan)
1) Male: equality, reciprocity, justice, and rights
a) morality imposes restrictions on
what you can do (justice orientation)
2) Female: connection,
peace, care and response
a) morality is an imperative to
care for others (responsibility orientation)
Ethics of Care Stages
Stage
Goal
Preconventional
individual survival
Transition: selfishness to responsibility to others
Conventional
self-sacrifice is good
Transition: goodness to truth that she is a person too
Postconventional
do not hurt others/self
A
Word of Caution About Gilligan's
Concerns
*
Research suggests the observed differences between girls'
and boys' moral reasoning styles
are only tendencies, not definite
gender differences.
Environmental
Influences on Moral Reasoning
1) Peer Interaction
a) research supports Piaget's
belief that interaction with peers can promote moral
understanding
b) cognitively probing, emotionally
involved exchanges between peers stimulates moral
understanding
2) Good Child-Rearing Practices
a) encourage participation in
family decisions
b) fair discipline
c) high levels of warmth
3) Schooling
a) years of schooling is a strong
predictor of moral development
b) school exposes children to
morally relevant subject matter
c) school provides an opportunity
to interact w/ teachers and peers about moral concerns
4) Culture
a) people in industrialized societies
move through Kohlberg's stages more quickly than
people in non-industrialized societies
Kohlberg's
Just Community
*
He believed that there was potential for moral growth from
democratic community
participation and decision making.
*
Application of his just community: a "just prison"
for women
Moral
vs. Social-Conventional Understanding
*
moral rules:
rules that protect people's rights and
welfare
*
social conventions:
arbitrary customs and rituals of social
interaction (e.g., shoes & shirt
required)
Distinction
Between 2 Types of Understanding
*
young children make these distinctions by
observing how people react to violation of moral
rules vs. social convention
Distributive
Justice
*
beliefs about how to divide up resources
fairly
*
parental advice and encouragement support
these developing standards of justice
*
peer interaction, however, is very
important
Development
of Distributive Justice
1) at first ideas of fairness are
based on
equality
(5-6)
2) fairness is later viewed in
terms of
merit
(6-7)
3)
benevolence
(age 8): special consideration for
those in need
Eisenberg's
Prosocial Reasoning
*
the cost of helping others is putting
one's own needs aside
*
Eisenberg's developmental levels resemble Kohlberg's stages
*
empathic feelings may encourage prosocial behavior
Moral
Self-Control (Resistance to Temptation)
*
first sign of self-control Ë compliance
*
ability to delay gratification improves for
preschoolers with presentation of self-control
strategies
2
Forms of Aggression that Emerge During 1st Year
*
instrumental aggression:
unintentional hostility
*
hostile aggression:
intentional aggression; a desire to hurt
The
Family's Role in the Development of Aggression
*
lack of love, power assertion,
inconsistent discipline lead to antisocial behavior
*
cycle of hostile interactions
Controlling
Childhood Aggression
*
end cycle of family hostility
*
teach more effective ways of dealing with
others
*
development of empathic ability (no experience
at home)