JEREMIA R.

JAVIER BSED-SCIENCE 2

Module 6

KOHLBERG’S THEORY OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT

I. Introduction:

What is morality? How morality is developed in an individual. Every individual

has unique characteristics. These might be acquired or inherited. Hence, can
character be acquired or inherited? In this lesson, we will be dealing with how the
values of a person are established.

II. Objectives:
1. Describe who is Lawrence Kohlberg
2. Explain the stages of moral development
3. Analyze a person’s level of moral development based on his responses
to moral dilemmas

III. Think note (Reflective question)

How will you know if a person’s action is morally right or wrong based on his
responses to a dilemma/situation? Let us cite the pandemic situation we are
experiencing nowadays. Your mother gave you a 50-peso bill to buy food for
dinner while she kept on reminding you to be careful of the money since it is the
last money your father provided. Along the way to a store, a person in front of you
fell on his one-thousand-peso bill unknowingly. What will you do?

I am going to tell the person infront of me that he fell his one-thousand-

peso bill because that money is his money and being honest is the right
thing to do even though I don’t have enough money to buy food for my
family.

IV. Content:

1. Lawrence Kohlberg a psychologist who developed the theory of Moral

Development.
2. Stages of Moral Development
3. The implication of Moral development to everyday living

V. Discussion:

1. Lawrence Kohlberg

A. 1927 – He was born in Bronxville, New York.

B. 1948 - He enrolled at the University of Chicago and completed his bachelor's
degree in only one year.
 C. 1932 – He made a comprehensive stage theory of moral development based
on Jean Piaget’s theory of moral judgment for children
D. 1958 - He then earned his doctorate degree.
E. 1956 until 1961 - He was the assistant professor of psychology at Yale
University.
F. 1962 until 1967 - He became an assistant, and then associate professor of
psychology and human development at the University of Chicago.
G. 1969 - After World War II, he helped to smuggle Jewish refugees past the
British blockade of Palestine and returned to Israel to study the morality of
young people in its collective settlements.

1. Lawrence developed six stages of Moral Development which were categorized

into three levels

Level 1 (Pre-conventional Morality Development)

Stage 1 Obedience and punishment orientation (Infancy age)

This deal with the child will follow elders because they are afraid to be punished
by them.

Stage 2 Instrumental Orientation (Pre-school Age)

The child will follow orders from elders because there is an award that they
will receive. This expresses self-interest about what or how an individual can gain
from that situation. This is known as a “give and take relationship” or bartering
whereas, a child will be allowed to lend his toy in return he will be given something or
benefited.

Level 2 (Conventional Morality Development)

Stage 3 Good boy or Good Girl Morality Orientation (School Age)

The child’s good action is designed to maintain good favor for others so that
they will be recognized as a “nice” person or feeling of belongingness.

Stage 4 Authority and morality that Maintain the Social Order Orientation
(School Age)

Individuals tend to follow law and order to maintain social peace and order.

Level 3 (Post Conventional Morality)

Stage 5 Social Contract Orientation (Teen Age)

The individual response to social justice and the common good. They see the
laws and orders as flexible to human needs.
 Stage 6 Universal Ethical Principle Orientation (Adulthood)

Individuals tend to follow what they think is morally right. That is, given the
right situation, there are exceptions to rules. When laws are not consistent with
individual rights and the interests of the majority, they do not bring about good for
people and alternatives should be considered.

VI. Application:

Students should view the video of Heinz dilemma

Follow the Instructions from the video and try to reflect and analyze your answer.
On what stage of moral development does your behavior belong?

My behavior belongs to POST-CONVENTIONAL STAGE OF MORAL

DEVELOPMENT. At the postconventional level, the individual moves
beyond the perspective of his or her own society. Morality is defined in
terms of abstract principles and values that apply to all situations and
societies. The individual attempts to take the perspective of all individuals.

VII. Abstraction
Morality refers to the norms or standards derived from the conduct of the
society or known as the act of doing what is right. Kohlberg theory focuses on the
thinking process that occurs when one decides a behavior is right from wrong, thus
the theory emphasizes how an individual responds to the moral dilemma no one
decides or what one actually does.

VIII. Assessment:

Identify the Stage of Moral development occurs in the following situation:

I. Stage 1 (punishment and Obedience) IV. Stage 4 (Law and

order)
II. Stage 2 (Mutual Benefit) V. Stage 5 (Social Contrast)
III. Stage 3 (Social Approval) VI. Stage 6 (Universal
Principles)

ANSWERS IS HIGHLIGHTED COLOR YELLOW.

1. Francine decided to return the smartphone she found in the classroom since she
believes that it is the right move to do.
A. I C. III
B. IV D. VI

2. Flora decided to do her best to color the drawing of a nipa house in her subject
Arts to receive 5 stars from her teacher.
 A. I C. II
B. III D. IV

3. Marie decided to wear a complete uniform from Monday to Friday except for
Wednesday since students are allowed to wear college shirts so she will not be
given appropriate punishment for not wearing it.
A. II C. III
B. IV D. V

4. John allows his classmates to copy his answer on the test paper so that they will
think he is kind and will like him to be their friend.
A. I C. II
B. III D. IV

5. Lovely and Sugar decided to join the silidaralan conducted by Prof Gimeno for
them to have a free notebook.
A. I C. III
B. II D. IV

6. Ronald’s father was arrested by a policeman for driving drunk on the street.
A. I C. II
B. III D. IV

7. In some countries, abortion is legal.

A. II C. III
B. IV D. V

8. Jose is a taxi driver. One morning as he drove his taxi, he noticed one black bag
placed at the back seat. As he opened it, he was surprised because it had a
laptop, jewelries’ and money amounting to one hundred thousand pesos. He
immediately goes to the radio station and tells what he found out.
A. II C. III
B. V D. VI

9. Noelle volunteers to tutor her classmates in Mathematics for she wants to help her
classmates to easily understand topics in the said subject.
A. III C. IV
B. V D. VI

10. Indigenous people prefer to cut trees for them to have money to buy food and
other needs.
A. IV C. V
B. VI D. III

IX. Reference/s:
https://www.britannica.com/science/Lawrence-Kohlbergs-stages-of-moral-
development
 URL =<https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2017/entries/morality-
definition/>.