Kohlberg

Question 1

Background (Piaget’s Theory)

Answer 1

• Heteronomous Moral Reasoning - Weighs the outcome to determine how bad the action is
• Autonomous Moral Reasoning - Takes into account the intent of the person committing the action

Question 2

Aim

Answer 2

Kohlberg wanted to provide research that would back up his theory of moral development inspired by Piaget

Question 3

USA Sample

Answer 3

75 boys aged 10-16 until they were 22-28 (same boys followed over 12 years)

Question 4

Procedure

Answer 4

1. Each boy presented with moral dilemmas every 3 years
2. Using their answers, Kohlberg ranked each in 6 categories (1 = Least morally developed, 6 = Most developed) based on whether at least 50% of their responses fell into this category
3. This formed his theory of stages of moral development

Question 5

Other Samples

Answer 5

Study repeated on boys in Taiwan, Turkey, Malaysia, Mexico, Canada and the UK

Question 6

Levels of Morality

Answer 6

1. Pre-Conventional (Stages 1 & 2)
2. Conventional (Stages 3 & 4)
3. Post-Conventional (Stages 5 & 6)

Question 7

Stages of Morality

Answer 7

1. Obedience and punishment orientation - Responsive to cultural norms but able to behave in an immoral way if authority structure is missing
2. Self-interest orientation - Behaves in a self - centred way
3. Conformity to expectations and rules ‘good boy good girl’ - Now seeking approval from others and begins to consider the intention of the act
4. Authority and social order orientation - Sees right behaviour as duty to show respect and maintain social order
5. Social contract orientation - Now does what is right based on law plus personal values and opinions. Sees laws as changeable
6. Universal ethical principles - Now bases judgement on universal human rights of justice, equality, reciprocity and respect for the individual

Question 8

Ethical Guidelines kept

Answer 8

• Consent was gained by the boys every 3 years
• Had the right to withdraw every 3 years by not answering questions
• The names of participants were left confidential
• Participants knew the true aim of the study and there was no deception

Question 9

Ethical Guidelines broken

Answer 9

• Harm may have been experienced through being given troubling dilemmas

Question 10

Reliability

Answer 10

• Internal Reliability
  
  • Procedure was very standardised (e.g same dilemmas being given every 3 years)
  • Standardised by ensuring 50% of answers must fit in a stage to deem the boy in that stage
• External Reliability
  
  • 75 is quite a large sample size so able to establish a consistent effect
  • Further samples within the other countries

Question 11

Validity

Answer 11

• Internal/Construct
  
  • Possible social desirability bias
  • Possible demand characteristics
  • Extraneous variables (education, upbringing etc)
  • The dilemmas may have instead been testing intelligence
• Population
  
  • Wide range of cultures used so generalisable to other places
  • Only male participants used
• Ecological
  
  • How you respond to a hypothetical dilemma may not be how you respond if you actually were in the scenario

Question 12

Ethnocentrism

Answer 12

• Kohlberg was accused of cultural bias as assumed moral development would be the same for everyone based just off the US sample.
• He did however repeat the study in several other places (Taiwan, Turkey, Mexico, Malaysia, Canada and UK) and found similar results.