Lecture 5: Moral Development

• Who proposed the theory of moral development that includes stages?

  Lawrence Kohlberg
• What does moral development contribute to in the context of criminal responsibility?

  It provides evidence for the minimum age of criminal responsibility.
• What are some civil rights restrictions for children under 18 in the UK?

  • Cannot vote
  • Cannot sit on a jury
  • Cannot buy alcohol, tobacco, or fireworks
  • Cannot get a tattoo
  • Cannot open their own bank account
• What are the UN Conventions on the Rights of the Child focused on?

  • Special safeguards and legal protection for children
  • Promoting non-judicial measures for managing children in conflict with the law
  • Establishing a minimum age of criminal responsibility reflecting children's immaturity
• What is the significance of moral development in child cognitive development research?

  It informs decisions about children's pathways through the criminal justice system.
• What types of rules did Piaget study in children's understanding?

  Rules of games and moral rules.
• What was the moral puzzle used by Piaget to study children's moral judgment?

  Two boys spill ink, one accidentally and one intentionally, and children judge who is naughtier.
• How do children younger than 7 judge naughtiness according to Piaget?

  They judge based on the extent of damage caused, not intentions.
• What is the transition period in Piaget's moral development theory?

  It is from about age 7 or 8 to age 10-11, where children learn rules can be constructed by the group.
• At what age do children typically reach the stage of autonomous morality according to Piaget?

  By about age 11 or 12.
• What do children evaluate at the autonomous stage of morality?

  They evaluate the fairness of punishment and consider motives and intentions.
• What methodological criticism is associated with Piaget's studies?

  Stories place large demands on memory, affecting younger children's responses.
• What did Wimmer, Wachter & Perner (1982) study in relation to Piaget's theory?

  They studied children's ability to distinguish intentionality versus ability and outcome.
• What did the results of Wimmer, Wachter & Perner (1982) indicate about children's understanding of effort and outcome?

  Even 4-year-olds understand the causal relationship among effort, ability, and achievement outcome.
• What did Kanngiesser & Warneken (2012) find about young children's understanding of merit and fairness?

  • Children as young as three reward peers based on merit.
  • They give more stickers to puppets that worked harder.
• What limitation did Strichartz and Burton (1990) find regarding children's moral judgment?

  Children from age 6 onward consider other people's intentions when assessing naughtiness.
• What is the main focus of Kohlberg's moral development theory?

  It proposes a set of stages of moral judgment through the lifespan.
• What type of stories did Kohlberg use to study moral dilemmas?

  He used vignettes to present moral dilemmas.
• What is a key aspect of Kohlberg's moral reasoning assessment?

  The quality of the reasoning behind moral decisions is considered.
• What is a strength of Kohlberg's proposal regarding moral reasoning stages?

  There is evidence for the first five stages of moral reasoning across different cultures.
• What are some limitations of Kohlberg's moral development theory?

  Criticisms include methodology, gender bias, and unrealistic stories.
• What did Rest et al. (1999) criticize about Kohlberg's methodology?

  The Heinz story was too abstract for young children to understand.
• What is the Defining Issues Test (DIT) related to in moral development research?

  It is a revised instrument for assessing moral judgment.
• What are the two major stages in Piaget's moral development theory?

  Moral Realist and Moral Subjectivist.
• How do intentions influence moral judgment as children grow older?

  Children begin to consider intentions alongside outcomes in their moral evaluations.
• What role do social interactions play in Piaget's transitional period of moral development?

  Social interactions help children learn that rules can be constructed by the group.
• How does Kohlberg's theory relate cognitive skills to moral judgment?

  Higher levels of perspective taking and cognitive skills correlate with higher levels of moral judgment.
• What is the nature of Kohlberg's moral reasoning studies?

  They are longitudinal and involve moral dilemmas.
• What is the controversy regarding the number of stages in Kohlberg's theory?

  There is debate on whether there are 5 or 6 stages of moral reasoning.
• Why is cultural context important in moral development research?

  Cultural context can influence moral reasoning and the understanding of moral dilemmas.
• How many stages of moral reasoning did Kohlberg propose?

  5 or 6 stages
• What evidence supports the first 5 stages of moral reasoning proposed by Kohlberg?

  Studies in many different countries, societies, and ethnicities
• What does the evidence demonstrate about children's moral judgment?

  There are systematic changes with age in children's moral judgment
• How do cognitive skills relate to moral judgment in children?

  Children with higher levels of perspective taking or cognitive skills have higher levels of moral judgment
• What does Kohlberg's theory help us understand?

  How cognitive processes contribute to moral behavior
• What are the four main criticisms of Kohlberg's proposal?

  • Methodology
  • Gender bias
  • No discrete stages
  • Unrealistic stories
• What was a major methodological criticism of Kohlberg's research?

  The Heinz story was too abstract for young children to understand
• What is another methodological criticism regarding scoring in Kohlberg's research?

  The method of scoring answers was subjective and open to interpretation
• What is the Defining Issues Test (DIT) used for?

  To assess moral judgment through moral dilemmas
• In the DIT scenario, what dilemma does Mustaq Singh face?

  Whether to steal food to feed his starving family