Lecture 4 - Moral dev and reasoning Flashcards

1
Q

Define morality

A

Rules and conventions about what people should do in interactions with others

  • helping, sharing, comforting
  • not altruism - as that involves a ‘cost’ for the person
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2
Q

Who are the important figures?

A

Piaget (1932)
Kohlberg (1984)
- Both formed “global stage theories - that argue:
- moral dev is gradual
- we learn to differentiate acting through conformity to conventions vs acting through moral principles

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3
Q

What was Piaget (1932) quote?

A

‘The moral judgement of the child’
- “All morality consists in a system of rules, and the essence of morality is to be found in the respect which the individual acquires for these rules”

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4
Q

Outline Piaget (1932)

A
  • studied boys marble games
    and how they acquired the rules, where they came from, and if they could be achanged
  • He asked:
    • ‘teach me the rules’
    • pretended to not know rules, and get child to teach them
    • watched them play with others
    • asked where rules came from and if they could be changed
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5
Q

Evaluate Piaget (1932)

A

X - small, western sample
√ - Linaza (1984) - supports this with spanish kids
√ - compared these rules to society - can break rules but there are consequences

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6
Q

Outline Piaget’s 3 stages of understanding rules he concluded from his marbles game

A

1) 4/5 years - rules weren’t understood
2) 4/5 - 9/10 rules come from higher authority (parents, gods, government)
3) 9-10+ rules seen as mutually agreed upon by players, can be changed if everyone agrees

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7
Q

What were Piagets 2 stages of moral dev?

A

Presented kids with moral dilemmas, concluded:

  1. Heteronomous stage (moral realism)
  2. Autonomous stage (moral subjectivism)
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8
Q

Outline Heteronomous stage

A

4-7 years old

  • fixed
  • morality comes from higher authority to be agreed upon by peers
  • see justice/ rules as unchangable
  • believe in imminent justice- if a rule is broken, punishment will immediately follow
  • See punishent as inevitable and retributive

Moral realism

  • see rules as absolute and cannot change, god or adults developed the rules
  • dont take motive/ intentions into account
  • every time the rule is broken, it is wrong
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9
Q

Outline Autonomous stage

A

9-10

  • recognise laws/rules are made by people
  • consider intentions/ consequences

Reciprocity - idea that peer relationships can enhance social understanding through mutual give-and-take - disagreements are discussed, reasoned and settled

Moral subjectivism - intent taking into account, punishment is suited to the offec

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10
Q

As morality develops, what did Piaget say shifted?

A
  • heteronomy to autonomy
  • egocentric to sociocentric (decentred) perspective
  • Adult-child (assymetric) to peer (symmetric) social relations
  • Objective to subjective perspectives
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11
Q

Outline Piaget’s Moral Vignettes (1932)

A

“A brief account, description or episode”

  • gave kids moral dilemmas - cups behind the door or breaking the jar getting sweets
  • Asked who is the naughtiest
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12
Q

What did the Vignettes show?

A
  • Those before 9/10 judge on amount of damage (heteronomous)
  • Afterwards they take into account motive (autonomous)
  • more damage = larger moral violation
  • if before 9-10 they said they would punish the tray boy more - based on material consequences
  • also argued childs morality is linked to Cog Dev stages
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13
Q

Outline Kohlbergs procedures

A
  • interviewed USA males (10-26) longitudinal study

- Asked moral dilemmas/ questions - like Heinz and the druggest

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14
Q

What were Kohlbergs assumptions

A

Assumed:

  • Children move to higher stages as age increases
  • pass through all stages
  • each stage forms a structural whole
  • stages = universal and cross-cultural
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15
Q

What are the 3 levels?

A

Level 1: Pre-conventional morality
Level 2: Conventional morality
Level 3: Post-conventional morality

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16
Q

Outline the stages of level 1: Pre-conventional morality

A
  1. heteronomous morality - never break rules, you will be punished, reasons in relation to self
  2. Individualism - instrumental purpose and exchange
17
Q

Outline the stages of level 2: conventional morality

A
  1. Mutual Interpersonal expectations - relationships and conformity, right = conforming/ upholding rules, expectations and conventions
  2. Social system and conscience
18
Q

Outline the stages of level 3: Post-conventional morality

A
  1. Social contract

6. Universal ethics principles

19
Q

Outline Heinz and the druggest

A
  • Needs an expensive drug to treat wife with cancer
  • Only has half the money, doctor wont sell it - he offers to pay rest later, he is declined
  • Can either steal the drug and break rules
  • or obey rules and let his wife die
  • responses to this determine what stage people are in
20
Q

Outline stage 1 of level 1: pre-conventional morality

A
Stage 1: Heteronomous morality
- rules should be obeyed
- their behaviour is controlled by threat of punishment
- Obedience for its own sake
- Think:
Heinz shouldnt let wife die - he will get in trouble
BUT
may get caught and go to jail
21
Q

Outline stage 2 of level 1: pre-conventional morality

A

Stage : individualism, intstrumental purpose & exchange
- follow rules when its in someones immediate interest
- acting to meet interests/ needs
- ‘right’ = deal/agreement
- Judge behaviour on whether it was fair/ satisfied personal need
- ThinK
Could give drug back if caught
BUT
buisnessman needs to make money

22
Q

Outline stage 3 of level 2: conventional morality

A

Stage 3: Mutual interpersonal expectations, relationships and conformity
(i.e. Good girl, nice boy)
- Judge behaviour in regard to what makes people happy/ what helps others
- Living up to expectations
- important to have good motives
- have to show concern, trust, loyalty, gratitude
- think about motivations/ intent
- Think:
- A good husband would do that
BUT
It would be druggist’s fault if she died

23
Q

Outline stage 4 of level 2: conventional morality

A

Stage 4: Social System & Conscience
- (AKA Law & Order orientation)
- Judge behaviour on if it adheres to rules from authority
- Authority must be respected and social order must be maintained
- uphold laws even in extreme cases - unless conflicting with other social duties
- ‘right’ = contributing to society
- Think:
Heinz would be responsible for wifes death if he did nothing, has to steal
BUT
Always wrong to steal and he will feel guilty

24
Q

Outline stage 5 of level 3: post-conventional morality

A

Stage 5: social contract
- judge behaviour on if it adheres to society norms/ rules
- recognises different societies have different norms/ rules
- Social contract to uphold rles
- some rules universal - protect life
-Think:
Heinz is justified, rule doesnt take into account his situation
BUT
Will lose reputation, respect for self

25
Q

Outline stage 6 of level 3: post-conventional morality

A

Stage 6: Universal ethical principles
- Judge behaviour on universal abstract/ ethical beliefts - all socieites should agree on (i.e. human rights)
- justice, equality and dignity are universal and should be upheld at all time
- Think:
not stealing will let down conscience, although he respects laws
BUT
Other people may need it more who can afford it

26
Q

Evalute Kohlberg’s stages

A

X - all male
X - only examines moral reasoning, not behaviour
X - Methodological problems
- spontaneous verbal responses which need to be coded
- hypothetical, complex scenarios
- Different situations, may measure different thing
X - Damon (1977) Heinz doesnt relate to child - repeated it with sharing pocket money

27
Q

Outline Gilligans criticisms

A
  • Viewed kohlberg’s theory as Justice perspective
  • Developed a care perspective - more inclusive
  • Criticised that there was only males, stages only reflect male dev
  • Looked at womens morality:
    Men: principle > people
    Women: Principle < people
28
Q

Outline Gilligans (1986)procedure

A

Studied womens responses to abortions dilemmas

  • interviewed pregnant women about whether they would have one
  • considered the dillemma focusing on responsibility not on an abstract/ justice-orientated principle (like men did)
  • Womens reasoning was based on ‘ethic of care’
29
Q

Outline Gilligan & Attanucci (1988)

A
  • boys focused more on justice concerns

- Girls focused more on care concerns

30
Q

Outline Warks & Krebs (1996)

A

Found females made more care-based judgements on personal dilemmas

31
Q

Outline Walker (1984)

A

No consistent gender differences in range of morality studies.