Psychology: Moral Development - Essay Example

? Psychology: Moral Development Psychology: Moral Development Morality development is significant in the life of all human beings because it determines the way people relate to each other and influences their co-existence. Moral development is an important aspect of the human growth and development process as it occurs in different stages of growth and determines the maturity that a person has. Moral development also determines the manner in which one can respond or react to different issues that he or she encounters in different stages of life. This paper will specifically look at the moral development of children between ages 2-7 in terms of interpersonal relationships, just decisions (good versus bad) and self-awareness. The paper presents an interview of a parent and a teacher and the manner in which their responses resonate with Kohlberg and Gilligan’s theories of moral development Different philosophers and authors have contributed to the field of moral development and given similar and different views on how people develop morally in different stages of life. Kohlberg in studying moral development came up with three levels that are divided into six stages. The levels include pre-conventional morality, conventional morality and post-conventional morality. Pre-conventional morality is divided into obedience and punishment orientation and individual and exchange stages. Level 2 is divided into good interpersonal relationships and maintaining the social order. Level 3 comprises of social contract and individual rights stage and universal principles stage. In stage one, children think of the thing that is right according to what the authority say it is right and thus obedience and avoidance of punishment is the right thing to do (Crain, 1985). In stage two, children no longer focus on a single authority and see different sides to an issue that the authority says is right. Therefore, they feel that one is right to pursue their own interests despite the fact that it is useful to exchange favors and make deals with other people. In stage three and four, young people think as members of a conventional society that has values, expectations and norms. Therefore, at stage 3 they emphasize of being good while at stage 4, they shift their concerns towards obeying laws. At stage, five and six, people care less with maintaining society for its own sake and are concerned with values that make a good society. Therefore, at stage five, they emphasize basic rights and democratic processes while at stage six, they define values and principles through considering the one that will be the most just (Crain, 1985). Another important theorist for this paper is Gilligan who was Kohlberg’s student. Gilligan used the stage theory to understand moral reasoning. Gilligan differed with her mentor and developed her own stage theory of moral development specifically for women. Her theory has three major divisions including pre-conventional, conventional and post conventional (Gibbs, 2003). However, in Gilligan’s theory, the changes that occur between the stages are influenced by the changes in the sense of self as opposed to changes in cognitive ability. The pre-conventional stage, the goal of moral development is individual survival and transition moves from selfishness to responsibility to others. In the conventional stage, the goal is self-sacrifice to goodness and the transition is from goodness to truth that one is a person too. The goal of the third stage is achieving the principle of non-violence meaning that one should not hurt other people or the self (Killen & Smetana, 2006). Interview Questions How does a child between the ages of 2-7 differentiate right from wrong? Which things or actions do they consider as right or wrong? Do they depend on any influence to make such differentiation? What do they consider as just? How do they relate with their peers with respect to the knowledge of good and bad? Do they pay attention to what they do as individuals and how their actions affect others? What is the perception of the children towards punishment? Do they do what they consider right on their own or through force or influence? Are boys’ actions different from girls’ actions with respect to right and wrong actions? The interviews conducted with the parent and the teacher clearly resonates with certain stages in Kohlberg and Gilligan’s theories of moral development. Kohlberg’s, theory of moral development under pre-conventional stage argues that children think of what is right, as the thing that the authority says is right. According to the interviews conducted with the teacher and the parent, the finding indicated that children between the ages of 2-7 think of that which is right or wrong according to what the authority has taught them. For instance, the teacher stated that the children try as much as possible not to do that which the teacher has told them not to do. The parent gave this same answer. In this case, the authority is the teacher and the parent. Therefore, the children tried as much as possible to do what they had been taught by the teacher and the parent as right and avoid that which is wrong. The teacher and the parent also indicated that the children do the right thing not especially for the benefit of it but for the avoidance of punishment. This resonates with Kohlberg’s theory that is based on cognitive development (Power, 2008). This also resonates with Gilligan’s theory in the pre-conventional stage where the children between the ages of 2-7 do that which they have been taught to be right in for purposes of individual survival. However, there is one significant difference with respect to Gilligan and Kohlberg’s theories. The responses given by the teacher and the parent did not show the differences between girls and boys with respect to their moral reasoning. The children between the ages of 2-7 all conceptualize of right and wrong in terms of what the authority has taught them to be right or wrong. For instance, the children conceptualize something to be right or wrong according to what the teacher or parent has taught them irrespective of whether the children are male or female. In fact, in this stage of development, girls and boys reasoning is similar as differences in terms of thinking is not present as they have not reached the level of maturity for that to happen. Here, both girls and boys operate with a cognitive sense as opposed to the sense of self as Gilligan puts it (Killen & Smetana, 2006). In terms of just decisions, the responses that the parent and teacher gave, the children consider justice to be doing that which they have been taught to be right and avoiding that which they have been taught to be wrong. For instance, if the teacher or parent has said that beating other children is wrong, then the just thing for a child to do is to avoid beating other children. Just decisions to these children are made with their knowledge of what has been taught to them by the authority, in this case the teacher and the parent. This supports Kohlberg’s theory that is based on cognitive development as opposed to Gilligan’s theory or moral development that is based on the sense of oneself. The children at this age use their cognitive ability to decide, which things are right and which ones are wrong. However, the things are not specifically complex cognitive processes but involve remembering what the authority taught them (Gilligan, 2009). In terms of interpersonal relationships, children under the age of interest (2-7) interact with other children and form relationships in different ways compared to adults or teenagers. They do not form their interpersonal relationships based on self-awareness or issues such as mutual benefits, similar traits or preferences and the like. Children under this age group form their interpersonal relationships based on the fact of being closer to each other. For instance, the fact that they are in the same class, school, age group or neighborhood forms the basis of their interpersonal relationship. Close proximity plays an important role in the interpersonal relationship that these children form with their peers. Another issue that influences the interpersonal relationships of children in this age is authority. The teacher and the parent play a significant role in determining the people that these children form interpersonal relationships with. In other words, the teacher and the parent determine whom the children formulate interpersonal relationships with. If the teacher or the parent tells a child in this age group that, a certain child or person is bad and he or she should not relate with him or her. This is exactly what the child is likely to do. He or she will do this as the right thing in order to avoid punishment. Again, here, the sex does influence much the interpersonal relationships that children in this age group form. Kohlberg’s theory based on cognitive development again stands out here. Gilligan’s theory only comes in based on the awareness of the self when these children formulate interpersonal relations based on sex. Girls will interact their kind easily similar to boys because they have something in common that keeps them together. In terms of self-awareness and its relation to moral development, children between the ages of 2-7 do not tie their self-awareness to morality or vice versa as much as other older age groups do. The children in this age group form their self-awareness based on who their teachers or parents (authority) tell them that they are. For instance, if the teacher or the parent tells a child that he is bright and should behave in a certain way, the child’s self-awareness is likely to reflect this ideology as opposed to what he or she thinks of himself (Gibbs, 2003). Self-awareness for this age group is highly determined by the influences that the authority places on the individual child. The authority has an important role to play for the child’s awareness. This is highly tied to cognition and the confidence that the authority places on the child. In the response of the interview, the teacher asserted that the self-awareness of a child between the ages of 2-7 is highly dependent on how the teacher handles him or her and the confidence that the teacher instils on the child as the teaching and learning process goes on. The parent also displayed the same fact by stating that the self-awareness of the child in this age group depends on the care of the child and the confidence that the parent instils on the child. However, as the child other issues such as the environment and the peers around among other things influence progresses, then the self-awareness (Killen & Smetana, 2006). In conclusion, the moral development of a child between the ages of 2-7 highly depends on the authority (teacher and parent) that are around the child. Their just decisions, interpersonal relationships and self-awareness are dependent on the influences of the authority especially on issues touching on the decisions of right and wrong. References Crain, W. C. (1985). Theories of Development. New York: Prentice-Hall. Gibbs, J. C. ( 2003). Moral Development and Reality: Beyond the Theories of Kohlberg and Hoffman. New York: SAGE. Gilligan, C. (2009). In a Different Voice: Psychological Theory and Women's Development. New York: Harvard University Press. Killen, M., & Smetana, J. G. (2006). Handbook of moral development. New York: Routledge. Power, F. C. (2008). Moral Education: A-L. New York: Greenwood Publishing Group. Read More

Crain, W. C. (1985). Theories of Development. New York: Prentice-Hall.

Gibbs, J. C. ( 2003). Moral Development and Reality: Beyond the Theories of Kohlberg and Hoffman. New York: SAGE.

Gilligan, C. (2009). In a Different Voice: Psychological Theory and Women's Development. New York: Harvard University Press.

Killen, M., & Smetana, J. G. (2006). Handbook of moral development. New York: Routledge.

Power, F. C. (2008). Moral Education: A-L. New York: Greenwood Publishing Group.

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