Moral Development

Moral Development Unit 5 Lesson 4

Objectives • Define morality. • Explain Kohlberg’s stages of moral development. • Explore moral dilemmas.

Warm Up • What is cognitive development? • Dvpt of mental activities that aid our understanding of world.

Review • What is a schema? • Organized set of thoughts or behaviors, a way of knowing • How do we change our schemas, or learn? • Assimilation – New fits into old • Accommodation – Change old to fit new http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Piaget's_Stages

Piaget’s Dating Game

Directions • 1 Bachelor/Bachelorette and 4 contestants up at a time • Bachelor will ask question. • Contestants will answer. • Audience will decide which stage of Piaget’s cognitive dvpt contestant’s answer represents

Rd 1 • “How would you show you’re interested in me?” • “How would you show your interest in me?” • Preoperational • “I would lovingly stare at your face.” • Sensorimotor • “I would write you a note and tell you.” • Concrete Operational • “I would rearrange the alphabet to put U & I together.” • Formal Operational

Rd 2 • “What would we do on a typical date?” • “Dinner and a movie, or movie and dinner.” • Concrete Operations • “Visit the art museum and discuss which piece best captures the spirit of our relationship.” • Formal Operations • “Whatever I feel like.” • Preoperational • “Go to the beach and play in the sand and water.” • Sensorimotor

Rd 3 • “At the end of our date, how would you say goodnight?” • “Start crying and hyperventilating because you’re leaving.” • Sensorimotor • “It would depend on how the overall date went.” • Concrete Operations • “I don’t believe in physical intimacy on a first date, it goes against my morals.” • Formal Operational • “Did you know it gets dark out so I can go to sleep?” • Preoperational

Moral Development • Lawrence Kohlberg (1973) • How people dvp concepts of right and wrong. • Moral dilemmas

Heinz • Listen to the following moral dilemma… • Answer: • Should he have done what he did? • Was he right or wrong? Why? • Explain your answer on paper

Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Dvpt • Preconventional (Morality focused on self) • Conventional (Morality focused on others) • Postconventional (Morality focused on higher power)

Preconventional Morality • Assign great importance to the authority of adults • Stage 1: Obedience & Punishment • Right is what authority says is right • An action is wrong if it’s punished • Stage 2: Individualism & Exchange • See different sides to every issue, no longer single authority • Right means acting in own best-interests • Make deals/exchange favors…I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine • Punishment is risk to avoid

Conventional Morality • Children value rules, which they follow to get approval of others • Stage 3: Good Interpersonal Relationships • Want the approval of people close to them • Right is what will gain approval of others • Good Boy/Good Girl Behaviors • Stage 4: Maintain Law & Order • More concerned with rules of larger society • Right means obeying laws, respecting authority, maintaining social order

Postconventional Morality • Flexibility allows people to consider what’s truly important to them (what would make good/ideal society). • Stage 5: Social Contract & Individual Rights • Want to follow society’s rules, but don’t see those rules as absolute. • Basic rights & democratic processes that give everyone a say • Stage 6: Universal Ethical Principles • What’s right and wrong is decided by individual, based on abstract ethical principles (justice, equality, conscience)

Heinz Dilemma Responses? • With a partner, craft a response from each stage • 1- Should not steal for fear of going to prison • 2- Steal it, he’ll be happier if wife is healed • 3- Steal it, his wife expects him to get it • 4- Don’t steal, it’s against the law • 5- Steal it, everyone has right to live, regardless of what law says • 6- Should steal, human life of more value than property rights

Heinz Dilemma Responses? • With a partner, craft a response from each stage (These are only examples, other right answers!) • 1- Should not steal for fear of going to prison • 2- Steal it, he’ll be happier if wife is healed • 3- Steal it, his wife expects him to get it • 4- Don’t steal, it’s against the law • 5- Steal it, everyone has right to live, regardless of what law says • 6- Should steal, human life of more value than property rights

Kohlberg Activities • Kohlberg’s Stages Part B • Personal Dilemmas • Jonathan • Moral Dilemmas • Jot down your response. • Is there pattern in responses?

Think-Pair-Share • What other factors could account for moral development? • Religious text • Conscience • What feels right • Absence of moral decision making

Helping Kids Develop Morality • Provide decent adult role models. • Positive feedback for good character & behaviors. • Empathy – ability to feel another person’s feelings…motivation for a child to behave morally. • Talk out dilemmas, help children problem solve & draw conclusion. • Encourage to think through actions and be brave & stand up for what they believe in.

Closure • Describe the major changes from pre to conventional to post-conventional moral reasoning. • Pre-conventional – based on external consequences & personal gain • Conventional – based on rules of group to which individual belongs • Post-conventional – based on personal authority with self-chosen principles

Homework • QUIZ! • Infancy & Childhood • Cognitive & Moral Development

Moral Development