Moral Development in Childhood

Q: What are the six stages of moral development?

Kohlberg's six levels of moral reasoning are:1. Obedience.2. Instrumental.3. Interpersonal.4. Social order.5. Social contract.6. Universal rights.

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Has there ever been a time when you have been able to acknowledge something you or someone around you was doing something wrong? Has a moment of wanting to do the right thing swept over you? These processes involve your understanding of morals. This explanation will explore psychology theories around moral development in early childhood.

First, we give moral development in early childhood definition.
Then we will discuss links between social and moral development in early childhood.
Next, we will examine some early childhood moral development examples.
After, we will examine different moral development stages.
Finally, we will explore some activities for moral development in early childhood.

Moral Development in Early Childhood Definition

Morals are the personal and societal standards of right or wrong behaviour. Moral development in early childhood can heavily influence our understanding of right and wrong and our actions in adulthood. Moral development in early childhood can be defined as:

Moral development is the process of learning individual and societal beliefs surrounding right and wrong behaviour.

There are several developmental psychologists' theories about how exactly moral development occurs; we will explore some of these theories next.

Moral development is the process in which a child learns society's standards of right and wrong; this is based on laws, and unspoken rules, e.g. what is socially and culturally appropriate

Social and Moral Development in Early Childhood

It is suggested that from a young age children learn their understanding of moral, right or wrong behaviour from those around them. The reactions from authority figures caused by the child's behaviour can lead the child to think that that specific behaviour is good (if rewarded) or bad (if punished).

Morals are also learned in a social manner as they are developed through interacting and learning socially acceptable ways to treat others.

A child will learn not to take toys from a classmate if they don't like the response from others to this behaviour (they see it as a punishment). For example, being yelled at or the other child being upset and telling an adult may result in a punishment.

When older, children develop their sense of morality based on these individual experiences and their understanding of the world around them. Next, we will explore some examples of this development.

Moral development in childhood, six children are holding hands and running in around in a circle on a large field of short green grass, Vaia. Fig. 1 - Moral development involves learning socially acceptable ways to behave.

Examples of Moral Development in Early Childhood

One of the early psychological theories on moral development in childhood comes from Piaget (1932), who suggested morality is a concept children build from their thoughts and action. Children were thought to show two kinds of moral thinking:

Heteronomous morality (moral realism) - occurs from ages 5-9. Children obey rules and laws set by authority figures at this age, often without questions and thinking they are unchanging. They know that 'bad' behaviour will have consequences they won't like and consider it a punishment.

Autonomous morality (moral relativism) - happens at around 9-10 years old. Here children learn that rules can be changed and about moral responsibility. They start to consider that people's intentions matter when behaving morally. If something 'bad' happens, but someone acts with good intentions, then this is not morally wrong, and there will be little or no punishment.

Another example of moral development in early childhood comes from Lee et al.'s (1997) evaluations of lying and truth-telling research.

In this study, Chinese and Canadian children were tested in their understanding of anti and pro-social behaviours. The 7, 9 and 11-year-olds were read scenarios and asked whether the behaviour of those in the story was right or wrong. E.g., a student tidied up in a classroom (which is good) but then lied about doing it to the teacher (which is wrong).

Results found that social and cultural norms influenced the moral judgments shown by the children. Canadian children judge lie-telling more positively and truth-telling in pro-social situations more negatively than Chinese children. Children from both cultures have moral evaluations of anti-social behaviour that were the same.

Researching different cultures is a positive evaluation of this research.

Moral Development Stages

Kohlberg's (1968) Stages of moral development are based on Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Reasoning, which is the process of deciding what is just, fair and right to do in a situation; this has three main aspects:

Cognition (thoughts about right/wrong).
Affective (feelings about right/wrong things).
Behaviour (acting on a right/wrong thought/feeling).

This evolves into a stage theory. Children progress through each stage before going on to the next; in this case, most adults don't reach the final stages. In Kohlberg's stages of moral development, there are three levels, each with two stages described in the table below.

Level	Stage	Stage
Preconventional morality. Ages up to 9 years old. Behaviour has a cause and effect.	Obedience. Only understands morals in the sense of being punished if something is wrong or bad and rewarded if it is right or good.	Instrumental. Now understand that people (not just authority figures) have their moral sense and become motivated to behave in ways that get what they want.
Conventional morality.From 11 years old, the behaviour shows a lot of self-interest.	Interpersonal.Considering the intentions of others and behaving in ways that gain the approval of others to improve interpersonal relationships.	Social order. Understanding that it is important to obey laws and behave in socially acceptable ways. This will lead to avoiding guilt and punishment for bad behaviour.
Post-conventional morality. Only some adults reach this level. Behaviour revolves around personal morals, not just societal laws or rules.	Social contract. Learning that the right course of action is the best option for the greatest number of people.	Universal rights. The development of personal guidelines to live by often only following laws considered just and universal principles that are abstract.

Limitations of the stages of moral development include:

Reflects a traditionally masculine perspective and Western values.
Assumptions that being guided by individual rights are more important than the social good.
Assumptions that being guided by objective justice is more advanced than your emotions or empathy.

Activities for Moral Development in Early Childhood

While being a morally good role model for children to observe is one way for adults to encourage socially acceptable behaviour in children, morals can be developed in other subtle ways.

Playing games (such as tag, hide and seek etc.) can help young children to understand rules and behaviour that involve playing fairly.

Moral Development in Childhood - Key takeaways

Moral development is learning individual and societal beliefs surrounding right and wrong behaviour.
Children learn their understanding of moral, right or wrong behaviour from those around them. Cultural norms can influence moral judgements.
Children learn heteronomous and then autonomous morality, going from obeying authority figures to understanding their moral responsibility and the intentions of others.
Kohlberg's (1968) Stages of moral development include three levels: pre-conventional, conventional and post-conventional morality. From learning the cause and effect of behaviour to avoid punishments/gain rewards to understanding pleasing through societal norms, some people live by their moral conclusions based on what's best for the greatest number of people.
Activities to engage children in moral development include playing games with easy-to-understand rules to follow and interacting nicely with others.

Frequently Asked Questions about Moral Development in Childhood

Moral development is the process in which a child learns society's standards of right and wrong; this is based on laws, and unspoken rules, e.g. what is socially and culturally appropriate

Kohlberg's six levels of moral reasoning are:

1. Obedience.

2. Instrumental.

3. Interpersonal.

4. Social order.

5. Social contract.

6. Universal rights.

Piaget was the first psychologist to introduce two stages of moral development. Kohlberg built on his work and proposed three stages of moral development, each consisting of two levels.

Moral development is learning individual and societal beliefs surrounding right and wrong behaviour.

Final Moral Development in Childhood Quiz

Moral Development in Childhood Quiz - Teste dein Wissen

Question

What is morality?

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personal and societal standards of what is right or wrong behaviour.

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What is moral reasoning?

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Moral reasoning refers to the process of deciding what is just, fair and right to do in a situation.

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Why is moral development important in early childhood?

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Moral development is important because our sense of morality guides our behaviours. Moral individuals consider how their actions impact society and can act in a way that benefits instead of harming society.

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How does morality develop in childhood according to Kohlberg's theory?

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Kohlberg proposed that moral reasoning starts with judging behaviours from an egocentric perspective, as we develop we begin to understand the value of social contracts, while in the last stage we start to reason more flexibly, abstractly and consider multiple perspectives in our reasoning.

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Outline Piaget's theory of moral development in childhood.

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Piaget argued that children in the early stages of cognitive development understand morality in terms of fixed rules. They consider all actions, which are against the rules to be immoral, even if committed with good intentions or by accident.

Later, when children begin to consider the perspectives of others they start to show more flexibility in their understanding of rules and can appreciate the role of intentions.

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Outline the first stage of moral reasoning proposed by Kohlberg.

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Pre-conventional moral reasoning - children get their knowledge about what is "right" and "wrong" from their environment. Their reasoning is egocentric, they mainly consider what will the consequences of the action be for them.

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What are the two levels that the first stage of moral reasoning consists of, according to Kohlberg's theory?

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Level 1 - Obedience and punishment orientation

At this level children are motivated by avoiding punishment.

Level 2 - Instrumental purpose orientation (Rewards)

Children start focusing on what actions will lead to the most rewarding outcome for them.

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Outline the second stage of moral reasoning proposed by Kohlberg and the levels it consists of.

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We conform to social rules to maintain positive social relationships, systems and a positive image of ourselves in the social system.

Stage 2 consists of level 3 characterised by orientation for gaining social approval, and level 4, at which individuals focus on adherence to laws to maintain social order.

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Outline the third stage of moral development proposed by Kohlberg.

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Post-conventional reasoning stage - actions are guided by internal moral principles, which reflect universal ethical principles like human rights. Individuals recognise that social rules are helpful, but also realise that they are arbitrary and can be unjust.

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What is the difference between the second and third stages of moral reasoning according to Kohlberg?

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In the second stage, laws are viewed as fixed and rigid, individuals at that stage may want to uphold them by all means to maintain social order. In the third stage, individuals start to recognise that laws are arbitrary and although they help maintain social order, if they are unethical they should be changed.

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How did Piaget and Kohlberg test moral reasoning in their studies?

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Piaget and Kohlberg both used moral dilemmas like the Heinz Dilemma to test how participants make moral judgements.

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Tom said that it's okay to steal if you can get away with it and escape the consequences. What stage of Kohlberg's moral development this does statement correspond to?

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Stage 1 - Tom's motives are egocentric, he only considers the consequences of stealing to himself.

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What are the limitations of Kohlberg's theory of moral development?

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Reflects a traditionally masculine perspective and Western values.
Assumptions that being guided by individual rights is more important than the social good.
Assumptions that being guided by objective justice is more advanced than your emotions or empathy.

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Question

Emma volunteers for a charity because she likes that when she shares photos of her volunteering on social media she gets a lot of likes. What stage and level of moral reasoning does this scenario represent?

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This stage represents stage 2, level 3, Emma's actions seem to be motivated by her need for approval from others.

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According to Kohlberg's theory of moral development is it possible for someone who reached level 5 (Law and order orientation) of moral development to make decisions based on potential rewards and punishment?

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No, Kohlberg argued that once you pass one stage of moral development you can't go back to it when making moral judgements.

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Kohlberg expanded on Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. True or False.

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True.

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What age bracket did Kohlberg aim to apply his stages of moral development on?

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Adults, by assessing the stages of moral development in children as they grew from 10 to 16 years of age to 22 and 28 years of age.

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What are the three levels of Kohlberg’s model of moral development?

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Preconventional reasoning, conventional reasoning, and postconventional reasoning.

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What year did Kohlberg introduce his theory on the stages of moral development?

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1968

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How many American boys did Kohlberg use in his sample?

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What is the age of criminal responsibility in England?

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What type of study was Kohlberg's (1968) study?

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It was a cross-cultural, longitudinal study.

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Over how many years did Kohlberg present the boys with a moral dilemma?

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12 years and they were interviewed every 3 years.

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What is the Heinz Dilemma?

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In the Heinz dilemma, Heinz needs money to help pay for the treatment of his dying wife. A special drug had been developed to treat it, but it was expensive and the druggist refused to lower the extortionate price, and no bank would loan money. Heinz then decided to break into the pharmacy and steal the drug.

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Question

What are the 6 stages within the three levels in Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development?

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1. Punishment and obedience orientation

2. Self-interest

3. Good boy/girl orientation

4. Authority orientation

5. Social contract orientation

6. Conscience and ethical principle orientation

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What does the Punishment and Obedience Orientation (stage 1) stage define as the level of moral reasoning?

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An act is wrong because the person who did it was punished. To avoid punishment is the goal here.

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What is the stage meaning of stage 3 - Good Boy/Girl Orientation?

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An act that causes others to think positively of you is the right choice. You may receive praise for doing it, and will be known as someone who is nice/good.

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What is the stage meaning of stage 6 - Conscience and Ethical Principle Orientation?

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An act is now governed by abstract, universal concepts and justice, equality and human life are the most important things. Judgements are made on an individual basis, and laws should be more of a guideline that can be subverted when necessary.

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Kohlberg's study has issues with being gender-biased, true or false?

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True, it is androcentric.

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What study supports the model (criminals have not one through all the required stages of moral development) when it is applied to criminals?

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Kennedy and Grubin (1992)

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Outline evidence for the influence of cultural norms on moral judgements.

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Lee et al. (1997) found cross-cultural differences in children's evaluations of lying and truth-telling about prosocial behaviour.

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What did Lee et al. (1997) conclude from their study on lying and truthtelling?

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Culture affected how children evaluated lying and truth-telling in the context of prosocial behaviours. It can be concluded that cultural norms and values influence moral judgements.

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What is morality?

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Morality distinguishes between "good" and "bad" behaviour, while moral reasoning is deciding what is just, fair, and right to do in a situation.

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What three things did Sweetser (1987) put forward regarding what the perception of lying depends on?

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Sweetser (1987) put forward that there are three things that the perception of lying depends on:

Whether the statement reflects the truth.
Whether the person believes it.
The intentions of the speaker.

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What did Piaget and Kohlberg theorise regarding children lying, and what do they consider when lying?

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Children lie if they judge it to be significantly different from the truth/reality and if they think they will be punished. They only start to consider the intentions behind lying around 11 years old.

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Other than the three things proposed by Sweetser, what else does lying depend on, which Lee et al. (1997) based their research on?

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Socio-Cultural Context.

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What kind of study did Lee et al. (1997) conduct?

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A cross-cultural study.

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What was the aim of the study by Lee et al. (1997)?

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To investigate the effect culture had on children's moral evaluations of lying and truth-telling by comparing the moral judgments of Canadian and Chinese children.

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What were the three different age groups in the study by Lee et al. (1997)?

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7, 9 and 11 year olds.

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Which type of experiment was it, and which design was used for the IVs in the study by Lee et al. (1997)?

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The study was a laboratory experiment which had an independent measures design.

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What were the four IVs of the study by Lee et al. (1997)?

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Social story group vs Physical story group.
Pro-social story group vs Anti-social story group.
Age of children.
Ethnicity of children.

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What were the two DVs of the study by Lee et al. (1997)?

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Rating of the deed of the story's character.
Rating of what the character said.

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Describe the scale used to measure the DVs of the study by Lee et al. (1997) and the options.

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It was a 7-point rating scale, and the options were:

Very very good.
Very good.
Good.
Neither good nor naughty.
Naughty.
Very naughty.
Very very naughty.

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Explain one of the differences between the results of Canadian and Chinese children's responses and how cultural norms affected this evaluation of moral judgments.

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Chinese children rated truth telling in pro-social situations more negatively than Canadian children, and rated lying in pro-social situations more positively. This shows that culture affects moral judgments since in the Chinese culture, their moral judgments are based on modesty and self-effacement.

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What were the main conclusions of the study by Lee et al. (1997) study based on the findings?

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There is a close relationship between socio-cultural practices and evaluations of moral judgments.
Specific cultural and social norms, the environment children socialise in, their age, and their experience within their culture all affect the development of children's moral judgments.

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Why isn't the study by Lee et al. (1997) generalisable?

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Since the research is only based in Canada and China, it's not truly representative of all/most cultures and cannot be generalised because Canada isn't representative of all individualistic cultures and China isn't representative of all collectivist cultures.

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How did Lee et al. (1997) increase the validity of their study?

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Counter-balancing and randomly assigning participants to conditions.

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How many levels are in Kohlber's Stages of Moral Development?

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Three

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How many stages are in each level of Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development?

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Two

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Which is not one of the stages in the Preconventional Reasoning level of Kohlberg's stages of moral development?

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Authority Orientation

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Moral Development in Childhood

Moral Development in Early Childhood Definition

Social and Moral Development in Early Childhood

Examples of Moral Development in Early Childhood

Moral Development Stages

Activities for Moral Development in Early Childhood

Moral Development in Childhood - Key takeaways

Frequently Asked Questions about Moral Development in Childhood

Why is moral development important in early childhood?

What is moral development in childhood?

What are the six stages of moral development?

Who was the one who introduced the stages of moral development?

What is the meaning of moral development?

Final Moral Development in Childhood Quiz

Moral Development in Childhood Quiz - Teste dein Wissen

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