Moral Reasoning: Kholberg

• Kholberg's theory of moral reasoning suggests that moral reasoning develops in 6 stages across 3 levels. For someone to fully develop a sense of moral reasoning, they must progress through levels in the correct sequence. The higher the stage, the more sophisticated the reasoning.
• Kholberg's Research

  Groups of male children and young adults were presented with a series of moral dilemmas. They were later interviewed and asked questions about what they would have done and why. These questions aimed to determine their moral reasoning behind decisions in each scenario. Kholberg suggested that peoples decision and judgement on issues of right and wrong can be summarised in a stage of moral development.
• Level 1: Pre-Conventional


  Stage 1: Punishment orientation

  • rules are obeyed to avoid punishment

  Stage 2: Personal gain
• Level 2: Conventional


  Stage 3: Good boy/girl orientation

  • rules are obeyed for praise

  Stage 4: Maintenence of social order
• Level 3: Post-Conventional


  Stage 5: Social contact

  • rules are challenged if they infringe others rights

  Stage 6: Universal ethical principles

  • develop own principles
• What do Kholberg's stages say about offending behaviour?

  Criminals are likely to be classified at level 1, whereas non-criminals have progressed to level 2 and 3. The pre-conventional level is a need to avoid punishment and gain rewards associated with less mature, childlike reasoning. This means that adults and teens who reason at this level do so to avoid punishment and gain rewards.
• Moral Reasoning: Evaluation Points

  • Research Support
  • Biased to western cultures
  • Andocentric
• Moral Reasoning: Andocentric

  Gilligan (1982) said that Kholberg's research showed that most women did not develop moral reasoning beyond stage 3, whereas men typically reach stage 4, arguing that this makes women look morally inferior. However, Walker found no difference between men and women in their stages of moral reasoning.
• Moral Reasoning: Research Support

  Colby et al (1983) conducted a longitudial study over 20 years on 58 American males. They found that their moral understanding and reasoning developed through the levels proposed in Kholberg's theory. Thorton and Reid (1982) investigated the relationship between Kholberg's stages and criminal behaviour. They found that those who commit crime for financial gain tend to display less mature morality than those who commit more violent crimes.
• Moral Reasoning: Biased to Western Cultures


  Dilemma's and questions may not have the same relevance to non-Western cultures. Shweder found that Indian participants reasoned differently. Miller highlighted that Indian participants tend to have a moral code based on social duties, rather than the American moral code based on individual rights. Similarly to gender bias, non-western individuals may be classed as having a more immature level of reasoning than western individuals, leading to the assumption that they are more likely to participate in offending behaviour.