DVP - Moral Development Lesson

Learning Targets:

• Identify the contributions of major researchers in the area of moral development.
• Compare and contrast models of moral development. 

AP psychology course and exam description, effective fall 2020. (n.d.). https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-psychology-course-and-exam-description.pdf

Lawrence Kohlberg

Moral Reasoning is how an individual thinks about moral decisions. This is an important aspect of cognitive development during adolescence. The adolescent has an increased ability to think abstractly, imagine hypothetical situations, and make real-world comparisons.

Lawrence Kohlberg created the most influential theory of moral development. He used hypothetical moral dilemmas to analyze children, adolescents, and adults. Kohlberg believed that the reasoning behind participants' answers was important in explaining moral development. According to Kohlberg, there are distinct stages of moral development.

Complete the activity below to learn about the moral stages of development.

Please watch the video below for a detailed explanation of each stage.

Carol Gilligan

Carol Gilligan is a distinguished feminist psychologist who has contributed significantly to moral development. She challenged Lawrence Kohlberg's stage theory of moral development, which emphasizes abstract reasoning skills and judgments based on universal ethical principles. According to Gilligan, Kohlberg's theory failed to account for the unique moral experiences and perspectives of women because it was based on male-oriented research.

In Gilligan's research, she found that women tend to make moral decisions based on a care orientation, which emphasizes the importance of avoiding harm to others and maintaining interpersonal relationships. Conversely, men tend to adopt a justice orientation, which prioritizes abstract principles and rules when making moral decisions.

 

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