Moral Development
Moral Development
According to Life Span (2006), moral development requires a complex interweaving of emotions, cognitions, and behaviors (Broderick & Blewitt, 2006, p. 221). There are two major theories of moral development: Piaget 's and Kohlberg 's. These two are similar in that they are both stage theories related to cognitive development, but Kohlberg sees moral development as a more complex and longer process than Piaget 's theory.
Piaget 's two-stage model proposes a premoral period where preschool children are indifferent about rules and make them up as they go along. At about age 5, Piaget described children 's mortality as heteronomous, where rules are outside the child 's sphere and need to be followed exactly, as if the rules were handed down by God, and misbehavior will eventually be punished. In addition, Piaget proposed that the older child 's view is more autonomous. The older child understands that it is permissible to change rules if everyone agrees. Rules are not sacred and absolute but are devices which humans use to get along cooperatively (Broderick & Blewitt, 2006, p. 221). Piaget 's emphasis on egocentrism led him to believe children "project their own thoughts and wishes onto others" and this "uni-directional view of rules and power is associated with objective responsibility" which gives the child confidence in over-evaluating exact rules over reasoning the purpose of the rule (Crain, 1985).
Kohlberg modified and expanded on Piaget 's work, and focused on late childhood into the adolescent and early adult years (Broderick & Blewitt, 2006, p. 221). Kohlberg 's six-stage model includes three levels. The first level is preconventional mortality, which compares to Piaget 's heteronomous level. The first stage of preconventional mortality has an orientation, of "punishment and obedience" where rules are correct because an authority figure is assumed to be "right." The second stage of this level has an orientation of
According to Life Span (2006), moral development requires a complex interweaving of emotions, cognitions, and behaviors (Broderick & Blewitt, 2006, p. 221). There are two major theories of moral development: Piaget 's and Kohlberg 's. These two are similar in that they are both stage theories related to cognitive development, but Kohlberg sees moral development as a more complex and longer process than Piaget 's theory.
Piaget 's two-stage model proposes a premoral period where preschool children are indifferent about rules and make them up as they go along. At about age 5, Piaget described children 's mortality as heteronomous, where rules are outside the child 's sphere and need to be followed exactly, as if the rules were handed down by God, and misbehavior will eventually be punished. In addition, Piaget proposed that the older child 's view is more autonomous. The older child understands that it is permissible to change rules if everyone agrees. Rules are not sacred and absolute but are devices which humans use to get along cooperatively (Broderick & Blewitt, 2006, p. 221). Piaget 's emphasis on egocentrism led him to believe children "project their own thoughts and wishes onto others" and this "uni-directional view of rules and power is associated with objective responsibility" which gives the child confidence in over-evaluating exact rules over reasoning the purpose of the rule (Crain, 1985).
Kohlberg modified and expanded on Piaget 's work, and focused on late childhood into the adolescent and early adult years (Broderick & Blewitt, 2006, p. 221). Kohlberg 's six-stage model includes three levels. The first level is preconventional mortality, which compares to Piaget 's heteronomous level. The first stage of preconventional mortality has an orientation, of "punishment and obedience" where rules are correct because an authority figure is assumed to be "right." The second stage of this level has an orientation of
References: Broderick, Patricia C. & Blewitt, Pamela (2006). The life span: Human development for helping professionals (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Crain, W. C. (1985). Kohlberg 's stages of moral development [Electronic resource]. Theories of development. Prentice-Hall, 118-136. Retrieved May 5, 2006, from http://faculty.plts.edu/gpence/html/kohlberg.htm