What are the two studies in the developmental area
Kohlberg (1968)
Lee et al (1997)
What are the 6 stages on moral development and the 3 levels they come under in the Kohlberg study
- Pre-conventional =
1. Punishment
2. Instrumental-relativist - Conventional =
3. Good boy-Good girl orientation
4. Law and order orientation - Post-conventional =
5. Social contract orientation
6. Universal principles orientation
What is the key theme in the Kohlberg study
Moral development
What does the punishment stage of moral development mean in the Kohlberg study and give an example
The child is good to avoid being punished. if person is punished they have done wrong. for example in the Heinz dilemma:
does steal = punishment is wife dying, which is worse than the punishment of stealing
doesn’t steal = Punishment for stealing is prison, which he wants to avoid
What does the Instrumental-relativist stage of moral development mean in the Kohlberg study and give an example
At this stage children recognize that there is not just one right view that is handed down by the authorities. Different individuals have different viewpoints. for example in the Heinz dilemma:
does steal = Save his wife. she makes him happy and he doesn’t want to lose her
doesn’t steal = He wont get into trouble and won’t go to prison
What does the Good boy-Good girl orientation stage of moral development mean in the Kohlberg study and give an example
The child is good if they want to be seen as being a good person by others. Therefore, answers relate to the approval of others. for example in the Heinz dilemma:
does steal = He has a duty as a husband and it is seen as a ‘good husband’ behaviour
doesn’t steal = It is against the law and majority will just see it as illegal
What does the Law and order orientation stage of moral development mean in the Kohlberg study and give an example
The child becomes aware of the wider rules of society so judgments concern obeying the rules in order to uphold the law and to avoid guilt. for example in the Heinz dilemma:
does steal = He is obeying his wife and trying to save her, marriage is more important than the law. he has also already tried the legal route
doesn’t steal = It is illegal and he cant go against the law
What does the Social contract orientation stage of moral development mean in the Kohlberg study and give an example
The child becomes aware that while rules/laws might exist for the good of the greatest number, there are times when they will work against the interest of particular individuals. for example in the Heinz dilemma:
does steal = The law doesn’t matter when saving his wife (human life)
doesn’t steal = The druggist also has human rights and has a business
What does the Universal principles orientation stage of moral development mean in the Kohlberg study and give an example
People at this stage have developed their own set of moral guidelines which may or may not fit the law. for example in the Heinz dilemma:
does steal = If his wife dies, it affects more people, the law is unfair and protects the druggist.
doesn’t steal = prison may have severe consequences and the drug can save others not just his wife
Give a brief description of the Heinz dilemma in the Kohlberg study
Heinz was trying to buy medication for his dying wife, but it was too expensive and the druggist wouldn’t let him buy it. so he had a choice to either steal the medicine and save his wife or don’t steal to and his wife would die
What were the aims of the Kohlberg study
- To investigate of there was evidence to support his theory of moral development
- To show how, as young adolescences develop into young manhood, they move through the distinct stages and levels of moral development
- To assess whether this process is the same cross-culturally
What research methods were used in the Kohlberg study
Longitudinal study cross-cultural study self report qualitative primary
What was the sample in the Kohlberg study
75 young American males aged 10-16 at the start of the study and 22-28 at the end of the study
Also went to Malaysia, Taiwan, Turkey, Canada, UK, Mexico
How long was the Kohlberg study carried out for
12 years
Briefly describe the procedure of the Kohlberg study
- Each one of the boys was, at 3 yearly intervals, presented with hypothetical moral dilemmas
- All the dilemmas were deliberately philosophical. their answers and the reasoning behind their answers were linked to the basic moral concepts in 2 hour interviews with 10 dilemmas
- Kohlberg wanted to judge the boys responses to see how developed their moral reasoning was
- for example the Heinz dilemma
-The Taiwanese boys had a separate dilemma to the Heinz dilemma because of ethnocentric factors
What were the finding from the Kohlberg study
- As the boys get older, their moral development went through the stages and never skipped a stage/ became more aware of others and developed, becomes more complex as you get older
- Class affected development: middle class developed quicker and lower classes will develop slower
- About 50% of the boys thinking was always in a single stage when tested
- Not all participants progressed through to stage 6 when tested
- Participants always progressed through the stages at the same order
- Participants never went backwards in development they would only stop at a stage
- Mexico and Taiwan developed slower but showed same results
- No religious differences
What were the conclusions from the Kohlberg study
- There is an invariable developmental sequence in an individuals moral development = each stage of moral development comes one at a time in the same order
- Cultural universality of sequence of stages
- Middle class and working class move through same stages just at a different rate/ middle class = faster and further
- The only thing that is affected is the rate at which individuals progress through the sequence not social, cultural or religious
Internal Validity - Kohlberg
- Procedure tests what it wants to test which is moral development, however Kohlberg could have been more bias and interpreted what the boys were saying in his own opinion to back-up his theory (researcher and cultural bias)
- Are accurate for capitalist societies
External validity - Kohlberg
Population
Ecological
Population
- People with developmental disorders can not relate e.g. autism
- Androcentric = male morality theory e.g. females driven by maternal instincts
- Cant apply to people who lack early upbringing e.g. no parents
Ecological
- More realistic in westernised cultures (more valid)
- Extreme dilemmas (not valid)
Internal reliability - Kohlberg
- 2hr interviews with same 10 dilemmas and same questions asked
- Taiwan although were not asked same dilemmas, one used stealing food instead of medication
External reliability - Kohlberg
- Still relevant to todays society in western societies
- Money does not have the same value as when the study was done $2,000 = $20,000
- Culture locked to capitalist societies
How is the Kohlberg study ethnocentric
- The value of money stealing and life are not culturally universal e.g. Syria have no government
- Stealing = hands cut off in middle eastern countries/ death penalty (very westernised theory
What are the aims of the Lee et al study
-To test the effects of culture on the children moral evaluations of lying truth telling by comparing the oral judgments of Canadian and Chinese children
What method was used in the Lee et al study
-Snapshot study = One point in time e.g. 7 year olds, 9 year olds and 11 year olds were used but with different participants at each age group
