Lawrence Kohlberg was an American psychologist known for his theory of moral development. He studied under Jean Piaget and revealed his stage theory of moral development in 1958. Kohlberg proposed that moral reasoning develops through six stages grouped into three levels: pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional. His research involved interviewing children and presenting moral dilemmas to understand their reasoning. Kohlberg developed a method of assessing moral development that focused on how individuals think about social experiences rather than as a result of maturation alone.

1. Lawrence Kohlberg 1927- 1986 Psychologist Slide show prepared by Kathryn D. Creasy and Consuelo Bachelet

2. Biography Born 1927 Grew up in Bronxville, New York. High school at Andover Academy in Massachusetts (private, elite institution) Helped transport refugees from parts of Europe to Israel. Enrolled at the University of Chicago in 1948. Earned his degree in one year.

3. Worked in psychology in Chicago during his graduate years. Became interested in the work of Jean Piaget. Revealed his stage theory of moral development for the first time in 1958 . Began his teaching career at Harvard in 1968 . He ended his life by drowning at the age of 59

4. Moral Development Theory By Kohlberg 1st-level Pre-conventional morality 2nd- level Conventional morality 3rd- level Post-conventional morality

5. Stage 1: Obedience and punishment orientation Authority creates rules Goal is to avoid punishment Stage 2: Individualism and exchange Accepts other points of view Returning favors is important Stage 3: Good interpersonal relationships Focus is to meet expectations of others Friends, family, community Stage 4: Maintaining the social order Focus is on society at large Stage 5: Social contract and individual rights Morality and rights take prevalence over law. Stage 6: Universal principals Few subjects reach this stage. Focus is the definition of principals

6. Stages do not unfold as consequence of maturation or socialization. Stages unfold as individuals think about social experiences. Stages unfold sequentially, but not all subjects reach the highest levels. Key points

7. Kohlberg’s Method Interviewed children at different stages of age. Presented them with dilemmas , and asked them give a value judgment and explain. Then, he asked others for validation. This is called interrater reliability .

8. Resources W.C. Crain. (1985). Theories of Development. Prentice-Hall Wenar, C. (1994.) Developmental Psychopathology: From Infancy Through Adolescence (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill, Inc