Moral Development

INTRODUCTION

MoralityOur understanding of the difference between right and wrong or good and bad behavior.

MoralityMorality is related to motivation because, as

Freud’s model showed us…

1. First, we get motivated to do

something. Example: An employee is

motivated to become the CEO of his

company one day.

2. Second, our moral beliefs intervene, sometimes causing us to

change our behaviors. Example: The employee finds out that his

company outsources child labor in poor foreign countries. If the boss of the company must hurt poor

children to make a profit, does he really want to be the boss? Does

he really want to work there anymore?

Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development

Lawrence Kohlberg (1927-1987) was a psychologist who created a theory of moral development: it describes how one’s sense of right and wrong

changes with age.

How do we develop a sense of justice? How do we learn to make moral judgements?

“Kohlberg Dilemmas”In order to study moral development, Kohlberg

created situations which he called “dilemmas,” and read them to people of all ages. He took their responses and categorized them into three levels of morality (6 stages total: two in each level) based on certain characteristics

that he noticed.

Your Task

You will do the same thing Kohlberg did: you will read one of his dilemmas to KIS students and staff, and record their responses. In our next class, we will

analyze the responses to figure our which stage of moral development each person would fit into best!

Rules:• Be back in the classroom by ____________ time.

• Don’t interview someone who was already interviewed by another group! Spread out!

• You must get at least 4 responses. If you get all 6, your group will be rewarded with candy.

• Do not disturb any classes actively in session. You must talk to teachers who are not teaching and students who are not in class.