Page 538 - Saunders Comprehensive Review For NCLEX-RN

If the behavior is not acceptable, the child feels guilty.

Stage 3 (7 to 10 Years): Good Boy or Nice Girl Orientation

Conformity occurs to avoid disapproval or dislike by others.
This stage involves living up to what is expected by individuals close to the
child or what individuals generally expect of others in their roles such as
daughter, son, brother, sister, and friend.
Being good is important and is interpreted as having good motives and
showing concern about others.
Being good also means maintaining mutual relationships, such as trust, loyalty,
respect, and gratitude.

Stage 4 (10 to 12 Years): Law and Order Orientation

The child considers society as a whole when making judgments.
Emphasis is on obeying laws to maintain social order.
Moral reasoning develops as the child shifts the focus of living to society.
The school-age child is at the conventional level of the conformity stage and has
an increased desire to please others.
The child observes and to some extent internalizes the standards of others.
The child wants to be considered “good” by those individuals whose opinions
matter to her or him.

Level Three: Postconventional Morality

The individual focuses on individual rights and principles of conscience.
The focus is on concerns regarding what is best for all.

Stage 5: Social Contract and Legalistic Orientation

The person is aware that others hold a variety of values and opinions and that
most values and rules are relative to the group.
The adolescent in this stage gives and takes and does not expect to get
something without paying for it.
At this stage, the person may disobey rules if they feel they are inconsistent
with their personal values.

Stage 6: Universal Ethical Principles Orientation

Conformity is based on universal principles of justice and occurs to avoid self-
condemnation.
This stage involves following self-chosen ethical principles.
The development of the postconventional level of morality occurs in the
adolescent at about age 13 years, marked by the development of an individual
conscience and a defined set of moral values.

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