The development of morality has been a topic of fascination for psychology experts for years. We aren’t simply born with the knowledge of what’s right and wrong, and so it must be developed over time. A framework offered by Lawrence Kohlberg is one of the most referenced theories for this process. And we’re here to look at the different stages it entails.
The Stages of Moral Development
Your sense of morality is as individual as who you are as a person, and just like your personality. It’s something that develops over time. Many experts and parents have wondered how children gain this sense of morality. And what can impact it, with a framework offered by psychology Lawrence Kohlberg being one of the most cited resources?
Kohlberg based his approach in 1958 on Jean Piaget’s previous work. Which showed three levels of moral development. He added two separate stages in each level for and backed up his findings with a study. We’re here to explore further the stages of moral development as explained by Kohlberg as well as modern criticisms of his approach.
Here’s a Video on Stages of Moral Development (B.Ed) by Mrs. Meenakshi Sharma, Biyani Girls College, Jaipur
Piaget’s Approach to Moral Development
Jean Piaget was a Swiss psychologist with an interest in moral reasoning and how its developed through life. He concluded in 1932 that there are three different stages of moral development that occur from childhood through to our adult years which ultimately shape our ethical beliefs.
Piaget was particularly interested in the way that children think, and he sought to find out their understanding of questions like:
- Where do rules come from?
- Can rules be changed?
- Who is to blame for bad things?
- Are guilty people always punished?
Here’s a Video on Kohlberg Moral Development | Individuals and Society | MCAT | Khan Academy
The Heinz Dilemma and Kohlberg
When Kohlberg began his study on moral development, he used Piaget’s theory as a basis. Kohlberg decided to work with a larger age range. But also used situational techniques to see how people would react to certain stories or events.
One of the most popular stories Kohlberg used was the Heinz dilemma. Which involved a man who needed prescription drugs to help his dying wife. The only drug that could help her was sold by a pharmacist. Who had increased the price to 10 times more than what it was worth? Meaning Heinz couldn’t afford it. Heinz requested to pay it off over time or receive a discount to aid his dying wife. But the chemist refused to know that he could make money off it. So, Heinz broke into the chemist and stole the drug.
From this scenario, Kohlberg asked the sample children a series of questions, including:
- Should Heinz have stolen the drug?
- If the person dying was a stranger and not his wife, would it make any difference?
- Should the police arrest the chemist if Heinz’s wife did end up dying from not getting the drug?
The sample consisted of 72 boys from Chicago and followed up with the majority of them at three yearly interviews. After doing this for 20 years, Kohlberg then came up with the theory. That there were indeed six stages of moral development fitting within the three that Piaget had originally concluded.
It’s important to note when looking at these stages, Kohlberg believed that not everyone will reach them. Also, they can only be achieved in this specific order. And there’s no way that a child will move backward in their reasoning.
Here’s a Video on Heinz Dilemma – Kohlberg’s stages of Moral Development (Interactive Animation)
Level 1: Pre-conventional Morality
The first stage of moral development occurs in children under nine years of age usually. In this stage, there’s no personal code of morality yet. What we think is moral, based on our parents or authority figures telling us so, as well as the consequences of breaking rules.
Their moral reasoning is based on consequences and authority is outside the individual. These are the two stages that occur within this level:
Obedience and Punishment
This is where the child will act ‘good’ in order to follow the rules. Their fear of being punished helps them to behave properly. Children at this stage believe if someone has been punished they must have done the wrong thing. In regards to the Heinz story, they think doing the wrong thing like stealing means Heinz should be in trouble.
Individualism and Exchange
By this stage, children have learned that everyone may have different viewpoints on what is right and wrong. They also understand that there’s never just one view handed down that is correct. And there can be many different points of view. When it comes to Heinz, they understand that the best thing to do was whatever served Heinz’s interests.
Here’s a Video on Kohlberg (Part 2): Pre-Conventional Moral Reasoning
Level 2: Conventional Morality
This stage of development relies heavily on influence from adults and other role models. This is where children have begun to follow what their parents or others are saying and doing about rules and morals. Their reasoning is decided on more of a social level rather than an individual.
Good Interpersonal Relationships
Sometimes known as the ‘good boy- good girl’ orientation. This stage of moral development is more about meeting social expectations. They want to be nice and conform to social relationships. And so they behave ‘good’ so that others will think they’re good people and approve of them.
Maintaining Social Order
By this stage, the child starts to understand the wider role that they play in society. And how everyone interacts with each other. They make their decisions based on obeying the rules of society and how they can both avoid guilt and uphold the law.
Here’s a Video on Kohlberg (Part 3): Conventional Moral Reasoning
Level 3: Post Conventional Morality
The final level of moral development is more about individual rights and justice. It’s important to note that Kohlberg believes only 10-15% of people will ever reach the final stage. This means that most people get their moral values from those around them and rarely decide on their own what their true ethical principles are.
Social Contract and Individual Rights
At this stage, the individual believes that there are a set of rules that society follows, but these aren’t always the best and final answer. Issues and solutions aren’t always so clear-cut and we must look at all avenues before deciding on what the right thing is to do.
Universal Principles
By this final stage, people have a completely individual set of principles that usually won’t fully comply with the law or society. Not only will they believe strongly in these principles, they will also act for them even if it means breaking the law or going against others (eg. human rights, equality, and justice).
Here’s a Video on Kohlberg (part 4) Post-Conventional Moral Reasoning
Potential Problems with Kohlberg’s Theory and Methods
Although Kohlberg’s theory was widely celebrated for some time, there have been modern criticisms of it. One huge issue that people have was the select group in which he based his reasoning off, as they were all males and from one specific location.
Another issue was with the problems that Kohlberg questioned children about and whether or not they would grasp the seriousness of the situation. For example, with the Heinz story, these young children would never have been married or in love, and so they wouldn’t fully understand how important this decision could be.
Some believe that the stages of moral development aren’t always so distinct and that some may miss stages altogether or never achieve them. Although Kohlberg claimed that moving backward through the stages wasn’t possible, later research has found that some people do in fact move this way in their moral reasoning.
Finally, there are criticisms about whether thinking a particular thing and acting on it would actually match up. Some may say they would do something in a situation but when faced with it in reality, they did something completely different. Therefore, it may be better to judge these findings on actions rather than words.
Here’s a Video on Moral Development in the Classroom
Ongoing Relevance of Kohlberg’s Approach to Moral Development
Even if there has been criticism for Kohlberg’s theory, they still provide a good basis for understanding how we develop morals and how our reasoning of right and wrong changes throughout adolescence. A new field of psychology was also created based on his theory which allowed for further research to continue in this fascinating area.
Kohlberg’s work on these stages has continued to be used by others in the mental health field and we can gain some understanding of why people act and think the way they do because of his findings. It’s obvious that as we grow older, our moral reasoning changes and develops, so having this framework to analyze to still offers a fairly valid point of reference.
We all have our own sense of morals and ethics, and although we’re not born with them it’s fascinating to see how they develop over time. Kohlberg and Piaget offer just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to understanding the process, and there’s no doubt we will learn more as further research is done.
