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kohlberg’s theory of moral development in adolescence

The development of morality and moral reasoning in kids is the subject of Kohlberg’s theory of moral development. According to Kohlberg’s view, “moral growth happens in six phases.” The approach contends that seeking and upholding justice should be the major goals of moral reasoning. “

Moral development in adolescence Kohlberg

One of the most well-known ideas addressing some of these fundamental queries was established by American psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg. His research improved and extended Jean Piaget’s earlier findings, but it focused more on elucidating how kids acquire moral thinking.

A two-stage method of moral development was outlined by Piaget. Kohlberg developed Piaget’s thesis by arguing that moral growth happens continuously over the course of a person’s life. His approach describes three levels and six phases of moral growth.

Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development in Adolescence

The moral conundrums that Kohlberg’s study participants were given served as the foundation for his theory. Interviews with respondents were also conducted to find out how individuals arrived at their conclusions in each case.

Stages of moral development of kohlberg

There are three main stages to Kohlberg’s thesis. There are two phases in the moral growth process at each level. Kohlberg held that not everyone advances to the greatest stages of moral growth, much like Piaget thought that not everyone reaches the ultimate levels of cognitive growth.

Kohlberg’s preconventional stage of morality

The initial stage of moral formation, known as preconventional morality, which lasts around until age nine. Children lack a unique moral compass at the monitoring stage; consequently, moral judgments are influenced by adult norms and the repercussions of abiding by or disobeying them.

Children frequently base their moral judgments on the physical repercussions of their actions since legitimacy comes from outside the individual.

Stage 1: Obedience and Punishment Orientation: Although infants are particularly prone to the first phases of moral growth, compliance, and consequence, adults are also capable of articulating this kind of thinking. Kohlberg contends that at this point, individuals view laws as absolute and unchangeable. It’s crucial to follow the rules since doing otherwise might result in penalties.

Stage 2 (Individualism and Exchange): Kids take into account individual points of view and evaluate activities in light of how well they support individual needs at the individuality and exchange level of cognitive development. Kids stated that in the problem, the ideal option was the one that best met the requirements. At this stage of moral growth, reciprocity is conceivable, but only if it benefits the individual.

Kohlberg’s conventional morality

The acknowledgment of societal norms on what is right and moral marks the beginning of the next stage of moral growth. Teenagers and adults absorb the moral principles they have learnt from the community and their mentors throughout this period. The legitimacy of leadership and adhering to social standards are also major topics throughout this time. There are two phases of moral development at this level:

Stage 3 (Developing Good Interpersonal Relationships): This phase of the interpersonal interactions of moral development is sometimes described as the “good boy-good girl” perspective and is centered on living up to societal expectations and roles. There is a focus on following rules, acting “nicely,” and taking relationships into account while making decisions.

Stage 4 (Maintaining Social Order): The fundamental goal of this phase is to keep social order intact. Individuals start to take the community as a whole into account when making decisions at this point in moral growth. The emphasis is on upholding order and stability through obeying the rules, doing one’s duties, and showing respect for authority.

Postconventional Morality Kohlberg

At this stage of moral growth, individuals learn to comprehend impersonal moral standards. At this level, there are two phases:

Stage 5 (Social Contract and Individual Rights): Individuals in the following stage start to take into account the various values, attitudes, and thoughts of other people as a result of the concepts of a social contract and personal freedoms. A community uses legal principles to function, but these laws must be agreed upon by all the people in the community.

Stage 6 (Universal Principles): Universal ethical standards and analytical thinking are the foundations of Kohlberg’s highest degree of moral reasoning. At this point, people uphold these internalized fairness values even when they run counter to laws and regulations.

Faults in the theory of moral development by Kohlberg

The growth of moral psychology benefited greatly from Kohlberg’s thesis. Although the idea has had a significant impact, several components have come under fire for a multitude of reasons:

While Kohlberg’s theory focuses on moral thinking, understanding what we need to do and really doing it are two very different things. Moral reasoning does not always translate into moral behavior. Consequently, moral action may not follow from moral thinking.

According to critics, Kohlberg’s theory of moral growth places too much emphasis on fairness as a factor in moral judgment. Empathy, care, and other interpersonal emotions are only a few examples of the variables that might be significant in moral reasoning.
Individualistic cultures prioritize rights of the individual, whereas collectivist societies prioritize the value of society and country. Kohlberg’s approach may not explain the diverse moral perspectives that eastern, collectivism civilizations may hold.
The majority of his participants were young people under the age of 16, who clearly had no prior marriage-related knowledge. It’s possible that the issue was too complex for these kids to comprehend, and the outcome would have been different if the dilemma had been more representative of their day-to-day problems.