Moral development

Question 1

What are Piaget’s stages for moral reasoning? (+ages)

Answer 1

0-5yo: Premoral stage
-> Little understanding of rules/can’t make judgments. Behavior regulated by caregivers
5-10yo: Heteronomous stage
-> Rules fixed cannot be broken. Moral = obeying rules. Consequences > Intentions
10+yo: Autonomous stage
-> Rules not absolute/can be changed. Intentions matter. Consider moral principles

Question 2

What are Kohlberg’s stages for moral reasoning? (+ages)

Answer 2

3-7yo: Pre-conventional moral reasoning
-> Avoid punishments/get rewards. Intentions don’t matter. Rules absolute/no personal sense of right or wrong
8-13yo: Conventional moral reasoning
-> Good behavior = approved by group. Consider intentions
13+yo: Post-conventional moral reasoning
-> (Not universal) Best interest of society. Rules can be changed

Question 3

Is moral judgment innate or learned?

Answer 3

Innate. 3mo can make those judgments in studies.

Question 4

Studies show that selective helping is present as soon as _____

Answer 4

2yo

Question 5

At what age can children distinguish between the 3 domains (moral, societal, personal)?

Answer 5

3-4yo.
E.g. See hitting someone as more wrong, even if a teacher says it’s okay.
E.g. See not saying “please” as acceptable if a parent says it’s okay.
E.g. Believe that they should have control in personal domain but understand that they don’t decide in moral and societal domains.

Question 6

Prosocial Behaviour Timeline

Answer 6

Before 18mo: Seeing someone else in distress most often leads to self-focused distress.
18-24mo: Prosocial behaviour emerges, facilitated by the emergence of empathy and sympathy.

Question 7

[Shown with the balloon study] Sympathy motivates helping as young as ______

Answer 7

18-24mo