Problem 6 – Shaffer / Santrock + 2 articles
3 moral components:
- An affective, emotional component that consists of the feelings that surround right or wrong
actions (guilt, concern for others etc.)
- A cognitive component about how we conceptualize right or wrong and make decisions
- A behavioral component that reflects how we actually behave when we experience temptations to
lie, cheat etc.
- + moral personality (Santrock)
1. Affective Component (Moral feeling)
Children begin to form conscience as toddlers. If toddlers are securely attached in the context of a mutually
responsive relationship, they display committed compliance: child is eager to cooperate with a responsive
parent and in return they begin to internalize, evaluate and regulate their own conducts. Insensitive
parents promote situational compliance: compliance based on a parent’s power to control the child’s
conduct rather than the child’s eagerness.
Psychoanalytic Theory (Freud): the superego is the moral branch of personality. Children fear losing their
parents’ love and being punished for their unacceptable sexual attraction to the opposite-sex parent. To
reduce this, children identify with the same sex parent and internalize the parents’ standards of right and
wrong. Self-control replaces parental control.
Empathy: empathy has a cognitive component – the ability to discern another’s inner psychological states,
perspective taking, contributes to moral development. At 10-12 years of age children expand their
concerns to general problems of people in unfortunate circumstances.
2. Cognitive Component (Moral Thought)
Theorists say that both cognitive growth and social experiences help children develop deeper
understanding of rules, laws and obligations. Children progress through invariant sequence of moral stages
that represent a more mature perspective.
Piaget’s Theory of Moral Development
Focused on 2 aspects: respect for rules & conceptions of justice
He studied children with a game of marbles
The Pre-moral Period (the first 5 years)
Children have little respect or awareness of socially defined rules. Children don’t play the marble game
systematically with the intent of winning, they make their own rules and have fun.
Heteronomous Period (5 to 10)
Children develop a strong respect for rules. They believe rules are laid down by powerful authority figures
such as teacher, police, parents. They think of rules as moral absolutes. They believe there is always a right
and wrong side and right always means following the rules. They favor expiatory punishment – punishment
for its own sake with no relation to do forbidden act. They believe in immanent justice – violations of social
rules will invariably be punished one way or another.
Autonomous Morality (10 or 11)
Children realize social rules can be challenged and even changed. Rules can be violated in the service of
human needs. Judgements of right or wrong depend more on the person’s intention rather than the
objective consequences of the act. They favor reciprocal punishments – treatments that tailor punitive
consequences to the crime so that the rule breaker will understand the implications. They no longer
, believe in immanent justice because they know from experience that violations often go undetected and
unpunished.
Criticism to Piaget: moral development is not fully developed by age 10 or 11
Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development
Asked children to resolve moral dilemmas to choose between obeying the law or acting in conflict with
these rules to serve a human need. He was more interested in the underlying thinking structure of
children’s answers.
He discovered that moral development becomes increasingly complex throughout adolescence. He
concluded an invariant sequence of 3 levels with 2 stages in each. He assumes each stage replaces the
previous one and once the individual is at a higher stage they can’t regress.
Level 1: Preconventional Morality
Rules are external. The child conforms to rules to avoid punishment or obtain personal rewards. Morality is
self-serving: what is right is what you can get away with or what is personally satisfying.
Stage 1: Punishment and Obedience Orientation: Child assumes that powerful authorities hand down a
fixed set of rules that must be unquestioningly obeyed. The goodness or badness of an action depends on
its consequences. Child obeys rules to avoid punishment, may not consider the act wrong if it’s not
detected & punished.
‘It’s bad to steal, it’s against the law.’ Or ‘He can steal it because he asked first and he didn’t steal
something big so he won’t get punished.’ The reasoning both concern what authorities permit and punish.
This stage is very similar to Piaget’s Heteronomous Period.
Stage 2: Naïve Hedonism: Child conforms to rules to gain rewards/satisfy personal goals. The child
recognizes there isn’t just one right view handed by the authorities. Each person is free to pursue their
individual interests. Behaviors are motivated by the hope of benefitting in return. ‘You scratch my back I’ll
scratch yours’
‘Heinz can steal the drug to save his wife, but he doesn’t have to if he wants to marry someone younger
and better looking.’ Or ‘Maybe they had children and he might need someone at home to look after them.’
Or ‘He can steal it cause the druggist was trying to rip him off.’
At stage 1 punishment is tied up to the child’s mind with wrongness, punishment proves that disobedience
is wrong. But at stage 2, punishment is a risk that one naturally wants to avoid. Stage 2 can sound amoral
but their notion is fair exchange and returning favors. Stage 2 is still preconventional because they speak as
isolated individuals rather than members of the society.
Level 2: Conventional Morality
Child strives to obey rules and norms to win others approval or maintain social order. Social praise and
avoidance of blame replaces rewards and punishments. Perspectives of others are recognized.
Stage 3: Good boy or Good girl Orientation: moral behavior is what helps or what is approved by others.
They believe people should live up to the expectations of family and community and behave in good ways.
Good behavior means having good motives, empathy, trust, concern for others.
‘He is a good man for trying to save his wife’s life, the druggist is selfish and unfair. They shouldn’t put
Heinz in jail, the judge would look at all sides and see the druggist was charging too much.’
3 moral components:
- An affective, emotional component that consists of the feelings that surround right or wrong
actions (guilt, concern for others etc.)
- A cognitive component about how we conceptualize right or wrong and make decisions
- A behavioral component that reflects how we actually behave when we experience temptations to
lie, cheat etc.
- + moral personality (Santrock)
1. Affective Component (Moral feeling)
Children begin to form conscience as toddlers. If toddlers are securely attached in the context of a mutually
responsive relationship, they display committed compliance: child is eager to cooperate with a responsive
parent and in return they begin to internalize, evaluate and regulate their own conducts. Insensitive
parents promote situational compliance: compliance based on a parent’s power to control the child’s
conduct rather than the child’s eagerness.
Psychoanalytic Theory (Freud): the superego is the moral branch of personality. Children fear losing their
parents’ love and being punished for their unacceptable sexual attraction to the opposite-sex parent. To
reduce this, children identify with the same sex parent and internalize the parents’ standards of right and
wrong. Self-control replaces parental control.
Empathy: empathy has a cognitive component – the ability to discern another’s inner psychological states,
perspective taking, contributes to moral development. At 10-12 years of age children expand their
concerns to general problems of people in unfortunate circumstances.
2. Cognitive Component (Moral Thought)
Theorists say that both cognitive growth and social experiences help children develop deeper
understanding of rules, laws and obligations. Children progress through invariant sequence of moral stages
that represent a more mature perspective.
Piaget’s Theory of Moral Development
Focused on 2 aspects: respect for rules & conceptions of justice
He studied children with a game of marbles
The Pre-moral Period (the first 5 years)
Children have little respect or awareness of socially defined rules. Children don’t play the marble game
systematically with the intent of winning, they make their own rules and have fun.
Heteronomous Period (5 to 10)
Children develop a strong respect for rules. They believe rules are laid down by powerful authority figures
such as teacher, police, parents. They think of rules as moral absolutes. They believe there is always a right
and wrong side and right always means following the rules. They favor expiatory punishment – punishment
for its own sake with no relation to do forbidden act. They believe in immanent justice – violations of social
rules will invariably be punished one way or another.
Autonomous Morality (10 or 11)
Children realize social rules can be challenged and even changed. Rules can be violated in the service of
human needs. Judgements of right or wrong depend more on the person’s intention rather than the
objective consequences of the act. They favor reciprocal punishments – treatments that tailor punitive
consequences to the crime so that the rule breaker will understand the implications. They no longer
, believe in immanent justice because they know from experience that violations often go undetected and
unpunished.
Criticism to Piaget: moral development is not fully developed by age 10 or 11
Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development
Asked children to resolve moral dilemmas to choose between obeying the law or acting in conflict with
these rules to serve a human need. He was more interested in the underlying thinking structure of
children’s answers.
He discovered that moral development becomes increasingly complex throughout adolescence. He
concluded an invariant sequence of 3 levels with 2 stages in each. He assumes each stage replaces the
previous one and once the individual is at a higher stage they can’t regress.
Level 1: Preconventional Morality
Rules are external. The child conforms to rules to avoid punishment or obtain personal rewards. Morality is
self-serving: what is right is what you can get away with or what is personally satisfying.
Stage 1: Punishment and Obedience Orientation: Child assumes that powerful authorities hand down a
fixed set of rules that must be unquestioningly obeyed. The goodness or badness of an action depends on
its consequences. Child obeys rules to avoid punishment, may not consider the act wrong if it’s not
detected & punished.
‘It’s bad to steal, it’s against the law.’ Or ‘He can steal it because he asked first and he didn’t steal
something big so he won’t get punished.’ The reasoning both concern what authorities permit and punish.
This stage is very similar to Piaget’s Heteronomous Period.
Stage 2: Naïve Hedonism: Child conforms to rules to gain rewards/satisfy personal goals. The child
recognizes there isn’t just one right view handed by the authorities. Each person is free to pursue their
individual interests. Behaviors are motivated by the hope of benefitting in return. ‘You scratch my back I’ll
scratch yours’
‘Heinz can steal the drug to save his wife, but he doesn’t have to if he wants to marry someone younger
and better looking.’ Or ‘Maybe they had children and he might need someone at home to look after them.’
Or ‘He can steal it cause the druggist was trying to rip him off.’
At stage 1 punishment is tied up to the child’s mind with wrongness, punishment proves that disobedience
is wrong. But at stage 2, punishment is a risk that one naturally wants to avoid. Stage 2 can sound amoral
but their notion is fair exchange and returning favors. Stage 2 is still preconventional because they speak as
isolated individuals rather than members of the society.
Level 2: Conventional Morality
Child strives to obey rules and norms to win others approval or maintain social order. Social praise and
avoidance of blame replaces rewards and punishments. Perspectives of others are recognized.
Stage 3: Good boy or Good girl Orientation: moral behavior is what helps or what is approved by others.
They believe people should live up to the expectations of family and community and behave in good ways.
Good behavior means having good motives, empathy, trust, concern for others.
‘He is a good man for trying to save his wife’s life, the druggist is selfish and unfair. They shouldn’t put
Heinz in jail, the judge would look at all sides and see the druggist was charging too much.’
