Download PSYC 206 Lifespan Development

PSYC 206 Lifespan Development
Chapter 13 - Moral Development
Lecture 2
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Piaget’s Theory of Moral Development

Heteronomous morality


Right and wrong are defined according to
objective consequences
 Children up to 9 or 10 years old
 E.g., number of broken cups
Autonomous morality

Right and wrong are defined according to
internal motives and intentions
 By age 10
 E.g., good or bad intention
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Piaget’s Theory of Moral Development

Peer context & Playing games

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
Fantasy role play vs. Rule-based games
6- and -8 year- olds: Rules are fixed and
unbreakable.
10-and -12 year-olds: Rules have been
decided by themselves and can be changed
by agreement.
Game-playing & Understanding social
rules
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Piaget’s Theory of Moral Development

Ali breaks ten cups while helping his
mother to dry the dishes.
Can breaks one cup while stealing
chocolates in the absence of his
mother.

Who is naughtier? Ali or Can?

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Ali – 10 cups & good or neutral intent
Can – 1 cup & bad intent
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Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development


“Morality” is an individual’s sense of
right, wrong, and justice
Every individual passes through
different levels of moral thinking
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Kohlberg’s Six Moral Stages
Level I - Preconventional
 Stage
1 - Heteronomous morality
 Stage 2 - Instrumental morality
Level II - Conventional
 Stage
3 - Good-child morality
 Stage 4 - Law-and-order morality
Level III - Postconventional (Principled)
 Stage
5 - Social-contract reasoning
 Stage 6 – Universal ethical principles
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Level I – Preconventional Morality
Stage 1 - Heteronomous morality
 Before
age 7
 Children obey rules to avoid punishment
 Egocentric perspective
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Level I – Preconventional Morality
Stage 2 - Instrumental morality
 At
the age of 7 or 8
 Children obey rules to gain rewards or
satisfy personal objectives
 Concrete individualistic perspective
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Level II – Conventional Morality
Stage 3 - Good-child morality
 At
age of 10 or 11
 Making decisions on the basis of what
will please others
 Maintaining interpersonal relations
 “Golden rule”: treat others as you wish
to be treated
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Level II – Conventional Morality
Stage 4 - Law-and-order morality
 By
early adolescence
 Maintaining the social order
 Conforming to the rules of legal
authority
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Level III - Postconventional (Principled)
Morality
Stage 5 - Social-contract reasoning
 Social
contracts and democratic law
 Prosocial perspective: Being aware of others’
values and rights
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Level III - Postconventional (Principled)
Morality
Stage 6 – Universal ethical principles
 Self-chosen
universal principles of ethics and
justice (e.g., equality) as abstract moral
guidelines
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Kohlberg Dilemmas

Joe is a fourteen-year-old boy who wanted to
go to camp very much. His father promised
him he could go if he saved up the money for it
himself. So Joe worked hard at his paper route
and saved up the forty dollars it cost to go to
camp, and a little more besides. But just
before camp was going to start, his father
changed his mind. Some of his friends decided
to go on a special fishing trip, and Joe's father
was short of the money it would cost. So he
told Joe to give him the money he had saved
from the paper route. Joe didn't want to give
up going to camp, so he thinks of refusing to
give his father the money.
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Sample Questions
1. Should Joe refuse to give his father the
money? Why or why not?
2. Does the father have the right to tell Joe to
give him the money? Why or why not?
3. Does giving the money have anything to do
with being a good son? Why or why not?
4. In general, why should a promise kept? 15
Video: “Heinz Dilemma”
Scenario 1
A woman was near death from a unique kind
of cancer. There is a drug that might save her.
The drug costs $2,000 per dosage. The sick
woman's husband, Heinz, went to everyone he
knew to borrow the money and tried every
legal means, but he could only get together
about $1,000. He asked the doctor scientist
who discovered the drug for a discount or let
him pay later. But the doctor scientist refused.
Should Heinz break into the laboratory to steal
the drug for his wife? Why or why not?
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Scenario 2
Heinz broke into the laboratory and stole the
drug. The next day, the newspapers reported
the break-in and theft. Brown, a police officer
and a friend of Heinz remembered seeing
Heinz last evening, behaving suspiciously near
the laboratory. Later that night, he saw Heinz
running away from the laboratory.
Should Brown report what he saw? Why or why
not?
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Scenario 3
Officer Brown reported what he saw. Heinz
was arrested and brought to court. If
convicted, he faces up to two years' jail.
Heinz was found guilty.
Should the judge sentence Heinz to prison?
Why or why not?
VIDEO!
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Stage one (obedience):
“Heinz should not steal the medicine
because he will consequently be put in
prison which will mean he is a bad person.”
OR
“Heinz should steal the medicine because it
is only worth $200 and not $2000; Heinz
had even offered to pay for it and was not
stealing anything else.”
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Stage two (self-interest):
“Heinz should not steal the medicine because
prison is an awful place, and he would more
likely languish in a jail cell than over his
wife's death.”
OR
“Heinz should steal the medicine because he
will be much happier if he saves his wife,
even if he will have to serve a prison
sentence.”
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Stage three (conformity):
“Heinz should not steal the drug because
stealing is bad and he is not a criminal; he has
tried to do everything he can without breaking
the law, you cannot blame him.”
OR
“Heinz should steal the medicine because his
wife expects it; he wants to be a good
husband.”
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Stage four (law-and-order):
“Heinz should not steal the medicine
because the law prohibits stealing, making it
illegal.”
OR
“Heinz should steal the drug for his wife but
also take the prescribed punishment for the
crime as well as paying the druggist what he
is owed. Criminals cannot just run around
without regard for the law; actions have
consequences.”
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Stage five (human rights):
“Heinz should not steal the medicine because
the scientist has a right to fair compensation.
Even if his wife is sick, it does not make his
actions right.”
OR
“Heinz should steal the medicine because
everyone has a right to choose life,
regardless of the law.”
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Stage six (universal human ethics):
“Heinz should not steal the medicine,
because others may need the medicine just
as badly, and their lives are equally
significant.”
OR
“Heinz should steal the medicine, because
saving a human life is a more fundamental
value than the property rights of another
person.”
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Prosocial Moral Reasoning
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Thinking that is involved in deciding
whether to share with, help, or take care
of other people
Eisenberg: Story dilemmas
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E.g., birhday party vs. helping a child who
has injured his leg
Immediate self-interest vs. interest of
others
With age, children express more empathy
Prosocial reasoning & Prosocial behavior
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