Moral development

Moral development

1. Piaget

   • Play and social games help learn rules
   • Egocentric children: Think they play with others but aren't
   • 7-8: Play with structured rules
     • Concrete operational
   • 11-12: Rules can be changed and adapted
     • Formal operational

2. Kohlberg

   • Heinz experiment (1984)
     • Situation: Wife dying from cancer, can't afford cure, Heinz steals drug.
     • Based on answers received, Kohlberg based his theory of sequential stages of moral development.
     • Problems
       • Artificial dilemmas: poor ecological validity.
         • 7-16 yr olds have never been married or placed in such a situation.
       • Biased sample: all men
         • Gilligan (82): Men's morality is about justice and law, women's morality is about compassion, consequences and care.
       • Not real dilemma
         • In real situations, the person could have a different reaction, because of real consequences.
   • Morality stages
     • Level 1: Pre-conventional Morality - No moral code, watch others to determine rules. (Guided code, not internal)
       • Stage 1: Obedience and punishment orientation - Rules are for not getting into trouble.
       • Stage 2: Individualism and Exchange - People have different ideas of right and wrong.
     • Level 2: Conventional Morality - Authority is internalised but not questioned.
       • Stage 3: Good Interpersonal Relationships - Behaves for other's approval.
       • Stage 4: Maintaining Social Order - Becomes aware of wider rules of society, obeys rules to uphold the law.
     • Level 3: Post-conventional Morality - Moral of individual rights and justice.
       • Stage 5: Social Contract and Individual Rights - Complex high level morality, Heinz dilemma (saving a life vs the law)
       • Stage 6: Universal Principle - Own set of moral guidelines that may or may not fit the law.

3. Cultural variation

   • Problems with Kohlberg's theory
     • Dynamic Imperialism
     • Social interests: Based on Western liberal model of society
     • Severed from cultural realities and diversities
   • Snarey (1985)
     • Being good and being moral may differ, depending what's right/wrong in different cultures
       • Question asked about wife
         • Taiwan: If his wife dies, her funeral will cost a lot.
         • Puerto Rico: He should protect his wife's life so he doesn't have to be alone.
       • Question asked about friend
         • Turkey: His friend would do the same for him.
     • Consequences to thinking we are old enough to understand consequences
       • Age of criminal responsibility very young in some countries