MORAL REASONING

1
MORAL REASONING

• PIAGET
• AND
• KOHLBERG

2
MORAL REASONING

• THREE DOMAINS OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT
• REASONING OR THINKING ABOUT MORAL CONDUCT
• BEHAVIOR IN MORAL CIRCUMSTANCES
• FEELINGS ABOUT MORAL MATTERS
• PIAGETS VIEW OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF MORAL
  REASONING
• HETERONOMOUS MORALITY
• OCCURS FROM 4 TO 7 YEARS OFAGE
• JUSTICE AND RULES ARE CONCEIVED OF AS
  UNCHANGEABLE PROPERTIES OF THE WORLD, REMOVED
  FROM THE CONTROL OF PEOPLE
• RIGHTNESS OR GOODNESS OF BEHAVIOR DETERMINED BY
  THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE BEHAVIOR, NOT THE
  INTENTIONS OF THE ACTOR

3
MORAL REASONING

• AUTONOMOUS MORALITY
• ABOUT 10 YEARS AND OLDER
• CHILD BECOMES AWARE THAT RULES AND LAWS ARE
  CREATED BY PEOPLE AND THAT, IN JUDGING AN ACTION,
  ONE SHOULD CONSIDER THE ACTORS INTENTIONS AS
  WELL AS THE SONSEQUENCES
• CHILDREN 7 TO 10 YEARS OF AGE ARE IN A TRANSITION
  BETWEEN THE TWO STAGES

4
MORAL DEVELOPMENT

• MORAL BEHAVIOR
• PROCESS OF REINFORCEMENT, PUNISHMENT, AND
  IMITATION ARE USED TO EXPLAIN CHILDRENS MORAL
  BEHAVIOR
• MORAL BEHAVIOR IS INFLUENCED EXTENSIVELY BY THE
  SITUATION
• ABILITY TO RESIST TEMPTATION IS CLOSELY TIED TO
  THE DEVELOPMENT OF SELF-CONTROL AND THE ABILITY
  TO DELAY GRATIFICATION
• COGNITIVE FACTORS ARE IMPORTANT IN THE CHILDS
  DEVELOPMENT OF SELF-CONTROL

5
MORAL DEVELOPMENT

• MORAL FEELINGS
• EMPATHY
• REACTING TO ANOTHERS FEELINGS WITH AND EMOTIONAL
  RESPONSE THAT IS SIMILAR TO THE OTHERS FEELINGS
• POSITIVE FELINGS
• SUCH AS EMPAHTY, SYMPAHTY, ADMIRATION, AND
  SELF-ESTEEM, AS WELL AS NEGATIVE FEELINGS SUCH AS
  ANGER, OUTRAGE, SHAME, AND GUILT, CONTRIBUTE TO
  CHILDRENS MORAL DEVELOPMENT
• THESE EMOTIONS INFLUENCE CHILDREN TO ACT IN
  ACCORD WITH STANDARDS OF RIGHT AND WRONG

6
MORAL DEVELOPMENT

• KOHLBERGS THEORY OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT
• MORAL DEVELOPMENT IS BASED PRIMARILY ON MORAL
  REASONING AND UNFOLDS IN STAGES
• CLASSIFIES CHILDREN AND ADULTS IN TERMS OF THEIR
  LEVEL OF MORAL REASONING ON THE BASIS OF THE
  RESPONSES THEY GIVE TO HYPOTHETICAL MORAL DILEMAS
• LEVEL ONE
• LOSEST LEVEL
• CHILD SHOWS NO INTERNALIZATION OF MORAL
  VALUES--MORAL REASONING IS CONTROLLED BY EXTERNAL
  REWARDS AND PUNISHMENT
• BEFORE AGE 9 MOST CHILDREN REASON IN A
  PRECONVENTIONAL WAY

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MORAL DEVELOPMENT

• TWO PRECONVENTIONAL STAGES
• STAGE 1. PUNISHMENT AND OBEDIENCE ORIENTATION
• MORAL THINKING IS BASED ON PUNISHMENT
• CHILDREN OBEY BECAUSE ADULTS TELL THEM TO OBEY
• STAGE 2. INDIVIDUALISM AND PURPOSE
• MORAL THINKING IS BSED ON REWARDS AND
  SELF-INTEREST
• CHILDREN OBEY WHEN THEY WANT TO OBEY AND IT IS
  THEIR BEST INTEREST TO BOEY
• WHAT IS RIGHT IS WHAT FEELS GOOD AND WHAT IS
  REWARDING

8
MORAL DEVELOPMENT

• TWO CONVENTIONAL STAGES (TEENS)
• STAGE 3. INTERPERSONAL NORMS
• THE PERSON VALUES TRUST, CARING, AND LOYALTY TO
  OTHERS AS THE BASIS OF MORAL JUDGMENTS
• CHILDREN OFTEN ADOPT THEIR PARENTS MORAL
  STANDARDS AT THIS STAGE, SEEKING TO BE THOUGHT OF
  BY THEIR PARENTS AS A GOOD GIRL OR A GOOD BOY
• STAGE 4. SOCIAL SYSTEM MORALITY
• MORAL JUDGMENTS ARE BASED ON UNDERSTANDING THE
  SOCIAL ORDER, LAW, JSTICE, AND DUTY

9
MORAL DEVELOPMENT

• POSTCONVENTIONAL REASONING
• MORALITY IS COMPLETELY INTERNALIZED AND NOT BASED
  ON OTHERS STANDARDS
• THE PERSON RECOGNIZES ALTERNATIVE MORAL COURSES,
  EXPLORES THE OPTIONS, AND THEN DECIDES ON A
  PERSONAL MORAL CODE
• BY EARLY ADULTHOOD, A SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE
  REASON IN POSTCONVENTIONAL WAYS

10
MORAL DEVELOPMENT

• TWO POSTCONVENTIONAL STAGES
• STAGE 5. COMMUNITY RIGHTS VERSUS INDIVIDUAL
  RIGHTS
• THE PERSON UNDERSTANDS THAT VALUES AND LAWS ARE
  RELATIVE AND THAT STANDARDS MAY VARY FROM ONE
  PERSON TO ANOTHER
• THE PERSON RECOGNIZES THAT LAWS ARE IMPORTANT FOR
  SOCIETY BUT KNOWS THAT LAWS CAN BE CHANGED
• THE PERSON BELIEVES THAT SOME VALUES, SUCH AS
  LIBERTY, ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE LAW

11
MORAL DEVELOPMENT

• STAGE 6. UNIVERSAL ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
• PERSONS HAVE DEVELOPED A MORAL STANDARD BASED ON
  UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS
• WHEN FACED WITH A CONFLICT BETWEEN LAW AND
  CONSCIENCE, THE PERSON WILL FOLLOW CONSCIENCE,
  EVEN THOUGH THE DECISION MIGHT INVOLVE PERSONAL
  RISK