Aim
To find evidence in support of a progression through stages of moral development
What is teh first level and what are the stages within them?
Preconventional
- Punishment and obedience orientation (Doing what is right becuase of fear of punishment)
- Instrumental-Realtivist orientation: Doing what is right for a reward
2nd level and stages?
Conventional
- Good girl:Bad girl: Doing what is right accroding to teh majority
- Law and order: Doing what is right becuase it is our duty and it helps society
3rd level and stages?
Post convetioanl
- Social contract: Doign wehat is right even if its agaisnt teh alw becuase the law is too restrictive
- Universal ethical principle: Doign what is right to avoid self condemnation
Method
It is a longitudinal study over a period of 12 years. The 75 american boys start off teh exepeirment at ages between 10-16 and are followed in three year intervals until teh ages of 22-28
Whoi did kholberg compare them to?
They comapred teh amreicna boys to other cultures such as Great Britain, Taiwan, Mexico etc
Results: Finding
As partipants grew older, they went through the stages of moral devlopemtn. Howver not all the partipants reached the final stages. At around 50% of teh 6 stages, partipants thinking was stuck at a singole stage, no mater the moral dillema. Stages weree passed through in order howevre partcipants can stop at any stage stage at any age.
Cross cultural findings
Taiwanese bioys aged between 10-13 gave classic 2nd stage responses
Mexico and Tawian boys showed teh same results except that teh devlopement was slower
Conclusions
Each stage of moral development comes one at a time and always in the same order. However, participants can stop at any stage at any age. Middle class and working children move through the same sequence, however, middle class children went faster and further through teh sequence
