40% of College Students (Flavell et al., 2002; Moshman, 2019)
Egocentric [Reasoning]
Concrete Operational 7-11y
Abstraction Hypothetics Symbols of Symbols
Causal [Reasoning]
Preoperational 2-7y
Conservation
Symbols for Unknown [Quantities]
Sensorimotor 0-2y
Symbolism
Utopian Thinking
Object Permanence
Metaphors
Kohlberg’s Levels of Moral Development
Justice, equality, dignity, and principled conscience
Rights, welfare, and changeable social agreements
Stage 6: Universal ethical principles
Stage 5: Social contract and rights
“I must follow a principle that I could consistently apply to every person, regardless of who benefits.”
Duty, law, authority, and social order
Level 3: Postconventional or Principled Morality
“The law deserves respect, but it should be changed when it violates basic rights or fails to serve the public.”
Approval, relationships, and being “good”
Stage 4: Social system and conscience
Stage 3: Interpersonal conformity
“People must follow the law and perform their duties, or the social system will break down.”
Personal interests and reciprocal benefit
Level 2: Conventional Morality
“A good friend, child, spouse, or community member would do this.”
Avoiding punishment
Stage 2: Individualism & Exchange
Stage 1: Punishment & Obedience
“I will do something for you if I receive something in return.”
Level 1: Preconventional Morality
“I should not do it because I will be punished.”
References
Gilligan, C. (1982). In a different voice: Psychological theory and women’s development. Harvard University Press.
Kohlberg, L. (1963). The development of children’s orientations toward a moral order: I. Sequence in the development of moral thought. Vita Humana, 6(1–2), 11–33. https://doi.org/10.1159/000269667
Kohlberg, L. (1969). Stage and sequence: The cognitive-developmental approach to socialization. In D. A. Goslin (Ed.), Handbook of socialization theory and research (pp. 347–480). Rand McNally.
Kohlberg, L. (1981). The philosophy of moral development: Moral stages and the idea of justice (Vol. 1). Harper & Row.
Kohlberg, L. (1984). The psychology of moral development: The nature and validity of moral stages (Vol. 2). Harper & Row.
