Page 132 - Meeting with Children Book

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Lawrence Kohlberg expanded on the earlier work of
cognitive theorist Jean Piaget to explain the moral
development of children. Kohlberg believed that moral
development, like cognitive development, follows a series
of stages. He used the idea of moral dilemmas—stories that
present conflicting ideas about two moral values—to teach
10 to 16 year-old boys about morality and values. The best
known moral dilemma created by Kohlberg is the "Heinz"
dilemma, which discusses the idea of obeying the law
versus saving a life. Kohlberg emphasized that it is the way
an individual reasons about a dilemma that determines
positive moral development. Kohlberg identified 3 levels of
morality each containing two stages, which provide the
basis for moral development in various contexts.

Each level of morality contains two stages, which provide
the basis for moral development in various contexts. The
pre-conventional level one of moral reasoning is especially
common in children, although adults can also exhibit this
level of reasoning. Reasoners at this level judge the morality
of an action by its direct consequences.

Children 5-7 are typically in Level 1 (stage 1 and stage 2) and
Level 2 (stage 3) of moral development according to
Kohlberg's stage model. The first two levels of moral
development are as follows:

Level 1: Preconventional Morality
Stage 1: A child's sense of morality is externally controlled
through obedience and punishment. A behavior is viewed
as wrong if it is punished. Children accept and believe the
rules of authority figures, such as parents and teachers, and
they judge an action based on its consequences. At this
stage of Pre-conventional Morality, there is no internalized
sense of right and wrong, rather, something is wrong
because the consequences could result in punishment. An