Kohler’s stages of moral developmente

Developmental Psychology

1. Kohler’s Stages of Moral Development Dr.Harim Mohsin

2. Moral Development Moral development is the gradual development of an individuals concept of right or wrong – conscious, religious values, social attitudes and certain behaviour.

3. Early influence Kohlberg followed the development of moral judgment far beyond the ages studied earlier by  Piaget, who also claimed that logic and morality develop through constructive stages Looking at the philosophy of Jean Piaget and Lawrence Kohlberg regarding why and how people justify the decisions they make.

4. Kohlberg & his stage theory Kohlberg became a professor of education and social psychology at Harvard in 1968. His book on moral development is used by teachers around the world to promote moral reasoning . This theory is a stage theory. In other words, everyone goes through the stages sequentially without skipping any stage. However, movement through these stages are not natural, movement occurs when a person notices inadequacies in his or her present way of coping with a given moral dilemma. According to stage theory, people cannot understand moral reasoning more than one stage ahead of their own.

5. Kohlberg ’ s Six Stages Pre-Conventional Moral Development Stage 1 Stage 2 Conventional Moral Development Stage 3 Stage 4 Post-Conventional Moral Development Stage 5 Stage 6

6. The Heinz Dilemma: A woman was near death from a special kind of cancer. There was one drug that the doctors thought might save her. It was a form of radium that a druggist in the same town had recently discovered. The drug was expensive to make, but the druggist was charging ten times what the drug cost him to produce. He paid $200 for the radium and charged $2,000 for a small dose of the drug. The sick woman's husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money, but he could only get together about $1,000 which is half of what it cost. He told the druggist that his wife was dying and asked him to sell it cheaper or let him pay later. But the druggist said: "No, I discovered the drug and I'm going to make money from it." So Heinz got desperate and broke into the man's store to steal the drug for his wife.

7. Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development

8. LEVEL I Pre-conventional Morality people at this stage do not really understand the conventions / rules of a society . 4 – 10 yrs. old

9. Level 1- Stages Level One: Pre-Conventional Morality Stage 1: Punishment-Obedience Orientation I should get my own way. To get rewards and avoid punishments. Stage 2: Instrumental Relativist Orientation I should do what I’m told To stay out of trouble

10. STAGE 1 Punishment – Obedience Orientation Consequences of acts determine whether they’re good or bad.

11. Stage 1 Obedience & Punishment Earliest stage of moral development Common in young children They see rules as fixed and absolute. Morality is external At this stage, children see rules as fixed and absolute. Obeying the rules is important because it is a means to avoid punishment.

12. Heinz should steal the drug because if he doesn't then his wife might die. Possible Stage 1 responses to  Heinz Dilemma : Heinz should not steal the drug because he might be caught and sent to jail .

13. STAGE 2 Instrumental Relativist Orientation The ethics of “What’s in it for me?” Obeying rules and exchanging favors are judged in terms of the benefit to the individual.

14. Stage 2 Individualism and Exchange At this stage of moral development, children account for individual points of view and judge actions based on how they serve individual needs . Reciprocity is possible at this point in moral development, but only if it serves one's own interests.

15. Possible Stage 2 responses to Heinz Dilemma:   It is right for Heinz to steal the drug because it can cure his wife and then she can take care of his home. The doctor scientist had spent lots of money and many years of his life to develop the cure so it's not fair to him if Heinz stole the drug.

16. LEVEL II Conventional Morality People at this stage conform to the conventions / rules of a society. 10 – 13 yrs. old

17. Level 2: Stages Level Two: Conventional Morality Stage 3: Good Boy-Nice Girl Orientation I should look out for myself, but be fair to those who are fair to me. What’s in it for me? Stage 4: Law and Order Orientation I should be a nice person and live up to the expectations of people I know and care about. So others will think well of me and I can think well of myself.

18. STAGE 3 Good Boy – Nice Girl Orientation Ethical decisions are based on concern for or the opinions of others.

19. Stage 3 Interpersonal Relationships Often referred to as the "good boy-good girl" orientation. At this stage children who are by now usually entering their teens, see morality as more than simple deals. Stage of moral development is focused on living up to social expectations and roles (of the family and community). There is an emphasis on conformity, being "nice," and behave in "good" ways. Good behaviour means having good motives and interpersonal feelings such as love, empathy, trust, and concern for others.

20. Possible Stage 3 responses to Heinz Dilemma : Yes, Heinz should steal the drug. He probably will go to jail for a short time for stealing but his family will think he is a good husband. Brown, the police officer should report that he saw Heinz behaving suspiciously and running away from the laboratory because his boss would be pleased.

21. STAGE 4 Law and Order Orientation Right behavior consists in doing one's duty, showing respect for authority and maintaining the given social order for its own sake.

22. Stage 4 Maintaining Social Order People begin to consider society as a whole when making judgment. Law and order focus on maintaining law and order and obeying laws Consequences of breaking the law Stage 1 and stage 4 are giving the same response Similarity is they both agree that breaking the law is wrong Differences is for Stage 1 the child can’t explain why it is wrong, while Stage 4 the adults are able to deliberate

23. Possible Stage 4 responses to Heinz Dilemma :   As her husband, Heinz has a duty to save his wife's life so he should steal the drug. But it's wrong to steal , so Heinz should be prepared to accept the penalty for breaking the law. The judge should sentence Heinz to jail. Stealing is against the law! He should not make any exceptions even though Heinz' wife is dying. If the judge does not sentence Heinz to jail then others may think it's right to steal and there will be chaos in the society.

24. LEVEL III Post-Conventional Morality The moral principles that underline the conventions of a society are understood.

25. Level 3- Stages Level Three Post-Conventional Morality Stage 5: Social Contract Orientation I should fulfill my responsibilities to the social or value system I feel part of. To keep the system from falling apart and to maintain self-respect as somebody who meets my obligations Stage 6: Universal Ethical Principle Orientation I should show the greatest possible respect for the rights and dignity of every individual person and should support a system that protects human rights. The obligation of conscience to act in accordance with the principle of respect for all human beings.

26. Social Contract Orientation Rules and laws represent agreements among people about behavior that benefits society. Rules can be changed when they no longer meet society’s needs. STAGE 5

27. Stage 5 Social Contract and Individual Rights At this stage, people begin to account for the differing values, opinions and beliefs of other people. Rules of law are important for maintaining a society, but members of the society should agree upon these standards.

28. Possible Stage 5 responses to Heinz Dilemma: Heinz should steal the drug because everyone has the right to life regardless of the law against stealing. Should Heinz be caught and prosecuted for stealing then the law (against stealing) needs to be reinterpreted because a person's life is at stake. The doctor scientist's decision is despicable but his right to fair compensation (for his discovery) must be maintained. Therefore, Heinz should not steal the drug.

29. STAGE 6 Universal Ethical Principle Orientation Right is defined by the decision of conscience in accord with self-chosen ethical principles appealing to logical comprehensiveness, universality and consistency.

30. Stage 6 Universal Principles Based upon universal ethical principles and abstract reasoning . Based on respect for universal principle and the demands of individual conscience Takes an idealized look at how people might coordinate their interests At this stage, people follow these internalized principles of justice, even if they conflict with laws and rules . Define the principles by which agreement will be most just .

31. Criticisms Does moral reasoning necessarily lead to moral behavior ? Kohlberg's theory is concerned with moral thinking, but there is a big difference between knowing what we ought to do versus our actual actions. Is justice the only aspect of moral reasoning we should consider? Critics have pointed out that Kohlberg's theory of moral development overemphasizes the concept as justice when making moral choices. Factors such as compassion, caring and other interpersonal feelings may play an important part in moral reasoning. Does Kohlberg's theory overemphasize Western philosophy? Individualistic cultures emphasize personal rights while collectivist cultures stress the importance of society and community. Eastern cultures may have different moral outlooks that Kohlberg's theory does not account for.

32. conclusion: Every person’s moral reasoning develops through the same stages in the same order. People pass through the same stages at different rates. Development is gradual and continuous, rather than sudden and discrete. Once a stage is attained, a person continues to reason at that stage and rarely regress to a lower stage. Intervention usually results in moving only to the next higher stage of moral reasoning.

33. ACTIVITY For the following moral dilemma, describe a response which might be given by someone in each of the first four stages of Kohlberg's theory. Jill goes shopping one day with her best friend, Sidh . Sidh tries on a jumper and walks out of the shop wearing it under her jacket. Jill is left to face the store's security person who insists that Jill names Sidh and gives S 's address. The manager of the store tells Jill she will be in serious trouble if she does not disclose Sidh's name and address. What should Jill do?

34. What would you do? Consider your own experience – Where are you according to the stages of Moral development?