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Kohlberg and Moral Development

Child Development & Pedagogy

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Overview

Lawrence Kohlberg described moral reasoning developing through three levels and six stages, based on responses to moral dilemmas.

Key points

Stage 1: obedience and punishment orientation; Stage 2: self-interest (instrumental exchange).
Stage 3: good boy–good girl (approval); Stage 4: law and order.
Stage 5: social contract; Stage 6: universal ethical principles.
The Heinz dilemma was used to study reasoning.
Kohlberg focused on reasoning, not the action chosen.
Carol Gilligan criticised the theory and proposed an ethics of care.

Explanation

Moral discussions in class can move students to higher stages.
Few people consistently reach Stage 6.
Culture influences moral reasoning.
Teachers model moral behaviour.
Piaget also described heteronomous and autonomous morality.

Step by step

Identify the concept, thinker or policy being tested.
Recall the exact definition, stage or provision.
Prefer inclusive, child-centred and evidence-based choices; reject punitive or labelling ones.

Examples

"I won’t cheat because I’ll be punished" → Stage 1.
"I follow rules because society needs order" → Stage 4.
"Saving a life matters more than a law" → post-conventional reasoning.

Traps and advanced points

Trap: Judging stage by action rather than reasoning.
Trap: Wrong stage order.
Trap: Forgetting Gilligan’s critique.

Quick revision

Three levels, six stages.
Heinz dilemma.
Gilligan: ethics of care.

Practice MCQs

Kohlberg studied mainly — development.
1. physical
2. moral
3. language
4. motor
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Answer: (b) moral. Kohlberg’s stages of moral reasoning.
Kohlberg described moral development in how many levels?
1. two
2. three
3. four
4. six
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Answer: (b) three. Three levels, six stages.
"I won’t cheat because I’ll be punished" reflects —
1. Stage 5
2. Stage 6
3. Stage 1
4. Stage 4
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Answer: (c) Stage 1. Obedience and punishment orientation.
"I follow rules because society needs order" reflects —
1. Stage 3
2. Stage 4
3. Stage 6
4. Stage 2
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Answer: (b) Stage 4. Law-and-order orientation.
The dilemma Kohlberg used in his research is the —
1. Stanford prison
2. Heinz dilemma
3. Bobo doll
4. Little Albert
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Answer: (b) Heinz dilemma. Heinz stealing a drug for his wife.
Kohlberg was most interested in —
1. the action chosen
2. the reasoning behind the choice
3. the speed of answer
4. the age only
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Answer: (b) the reasoning behind the choice. Reasoning, not the action.
The ethics of care was proposed by —
1. Abraham Maslow
2. Carol Gilligan
3. Jean Piaget
4. Erik Erikson
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Answer: (b) Carol Gilligan. Gilligan critiqued Kohlberg.
The "good boy–good girl" orientation is —
1. Stage 6
2. Stage 1
3. Stage 3
4. Stage 5
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Answer: (c) Stage 3. Seeking approval.
Universal ethical principles form —
1. Stage 4
2. Stage 6
3. Stage 3
4. Stage 2
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Answer: (b) Stage 6. The highest stage.
The conventional level includes stages —
1. 5 and 6
2. 2 and 5
3. 1 and 2
4. 3 and 4
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Answer: (d) 3 and 4. Approval and law-and-order.