KOHLBERG’S

Theory
of
Moral Development
{
1927-1987 > Kohlberg studied the reasoning ability of boys
and base on Piaget’s development stages, developed a
theory on moral reasoning, or the way that children gain
knowledge of right and wrong.

Recognizing moral reasoning also helps determine whether

children can be depended on to carry out self-care activities
such as administering their own medicine.

Moral stage closely approximate cognitive stages of

development, because a child must be able to think
abstractly before being able to understand how rules apply,
even when no one is there to enforce them.
Pre-religious stage
 infants have little concept of any motivating force beyond that of

their parents. Infants learns that when they do certain actions,

parents give affections and approval. To support this stage of
development, it is important for caregivers to praise the infant
for doing what he or she is asked to do.
 If an infant falls short of doing this, it is probably due to

immature development rather than any effort to displease.

 The development of trust is important in moral development

because infants who have developed a sound sense of trust

can better develop a spiritual orientation in future years and
thus be bound by a moral conscience.

Infant
 Toddlers begin to formulate a sense of right and wrong, but
their reason for doing right is centered most strongly in mother
or father says so rather than any spiritual or societal
motivation.

 Toddlers may not obey requests from people other than

parents because they do not view their authority as being at
the same level as their parents authority.

Toddler
 Preschooler tend to do good out of self interest rather than
out of true intent to do good or because of a strong spiritual
motivation.

 Children at this age imitate what they see, so if they see

less than perfect role models, they may copy those wrong
actions and assume those actions are correct.

Preschooler
 School age children enter a stage of moral development
termed conventional development, the level of which many
adults function.
 Young school age children adhere to a phase of development
termed the nice girl and nice boy stage.
 School age children may have difficulty following self care
measures reliably when out of a nurse or parents sight
because they feel it is necessary to obey rules only when the
rules can be clearly enforced.

School-Age Child
 Adolescents become capable of abstract thought, they
become capable of internalizing standards of conduct.
 This is termed post-conventional development and is the
mature form of moral reasoning.
 Adolescent can carry out self care measures even when
someone else is not present because they can understand
not only the importance of the measure to themselves but
also the principle that certain things should be done
simply because they are right.
 Many adolescents do not enter this phase of
development, however, and as adults they continue to act
like school age children.

Adolescent
 Kohlberg’s stages of moral development
AGE<YEAR> STAGE DESCRIPTION
PRECONVENTIONAL LEVEL I
2-3 1 PUNISHMENT/OBEDIENCE ORIENTATION.
CHILD DOES RIGHT BECAUSE PARENTS
TELL THEM TO AVOID PUNISHMENT.
4-7 2 INDIVIDUALISM. CARRIES OUT ACTIONS TO
SATISFY OWN NEEDS RATHER THAN
SOCIETY.
CONVENTIONAL LEVEL II
7-10 3 ORIENTATION TO INTERPERSONAL
RELATIONS OF MUTUALITY. CHILDS
FOLLOWS RULES BECAUSE OF A NEED TO
BE A GOOD PERSON ON EYES OF OTHERS.
10-12 4 MAINTENANCE OF SOCIAL ORDER, FIXED
RULES AND AUTHORITY. CHILD FIND
FOLLOWING RULES SATISFYING.
IMPLICATION
CHILD NEED HELP TO DETERMINE
WHAT ARE RIGHT ACTIONS.
CHILD IS UNABLE TO RECOGNIZE
THAT LIKE SITUATION REQUIRE
LIKE ACTIONS.
CHILD ENJOYS HELPING OTHERS
BECAUSE THIS IS NICE BEHAVIOR.
ALLOWS CHILD TO HELP AND
PRAISE FOR DESIRED BEHAVIOR
SUCH AS SHARING.
FOLLOW SELF CARE MEASURES
ONLY IF SOMEONE IS THERE TO
ENFORCE THEM.

POSTCONVENTIONAL LEVEL III

OLDER THAN 12 5 SOCIAL CONTRACT, UTILITARIAN LAW AN ADOLESCENT CAN BE

MAKING PERSPECTIVE. FOLLOWS
STANDARDS OD SOCIETY FOR THE GOOD
OF ALL PEOPLE
6 UNIVERSAL ETHICAL PRINCIPLE
ORIENTATION. FOLLOWS INTERNALIZED
STANDARDS OF CONDUCT.
RESPONSILBLE FOR SELF CARE
BECAUSE HE OR SHE VIEWS THIS
AS A STANDARD OF ADULT
BEHAVIOR.
MANY ADULTS DO NOT REACH
THIS LEVEL OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT.
THANK YOU!!!