The document discusses seven dimensions of maturity: 1) extension of interests beyond family and peer groups, 2) relating warmly with others through intimacy, 3) emotional security and acceptance, 4) realistic perception of reality, 5) possession of skills and competence, 6) knowledge of self, and 7) establishing a unifying philosophy of life. Kohlberg's stages of moral development include pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional levels characterized by obedience, maintaining social order, and individual principles, respectively.

1. DIMENSIONS OF
MATURITY
Ines A. de Guzman, PhD

2. 1.
Extension Deepening of interest
of the self
School activities,
Peer
groups Youth
Child
organizations
and the
family Opposite Vocational,
moral, and civic
sex responsibilities.

3. During early adolescence, Early adulthood: mature
the individual was in the psychosocial development is
midst of an identity crisis, measured by the successful
a struggle that reached its resolution of the stage as
peak during intimacy versus isolation
2. Relating
adolescence. warmly with
others – capacity
to be intimate
with and
towards others
The young adult is ready
The Individual may develop
for intimacy, which means not strong bonds of intimacy in
only committing the self to friendships that offer, among
personal relationships but also other features, mutuality,
nurturing the motivation to empathy, and reciprocity.
maintain them.

4. 3. Emotional Security
• Full acceptance of • Acceptance as being part
of the normal self
self including
• Does not allow emotions
imperfections to rule his/her life but
• Seek to fulfil • does not reject
• own potentials Self • emotions as being
Emotional
• alien in nature either
acceptance acceptance
Confidence in Frustration
self-
• spontaneity; one is expression tolerance • Capacity to continue
• aware of one’s own functioning even during
emotions, is not afraid of time of stress – a very
them, and has control formidable goal
over their expression.

5. 4. Realistic Perception
Ability to keep
in touch with Ability to
reality, perceive the Avoid mis-use
without
distorting the surround- of defense
environment ings mechanisms
for self-serving accurately
purposes

6. driven by a need
to express his/her
competence
through some
type of activity. identifies with her
work and displays
strives to develop
pride in the skills
skils he/she
needed to
possesses
produce the
finished product
5.
Possession
of skills and
competence

7. 6. Knowledge of the
Self (Objectification)
Possesses self insight
Knows what he/she can do,
cannot do, ought to do
Modifies behavior to fulfil his/her roles as
worker, marriage partner, and parents as
source of stability and ego identity that are
developed in the performance of these roles.

8. copes with failure
if these goals are
not met.
develops an intelligent
theory of life and
work toward
implementing it.
embodies the
concept of guiding
purpose, ideals,
needs, goals, and
values
7.
Establishing a
unifying
philosophy of
life

9. Group Activity
• Pictionary
• Points (2 pts. each art work)
• 2 groups
–Each group assigns an artist

10. Kohlberg’s
Stages of
Moral Development

12. Level 1
Pre- Conventional Morality
Stage 1: Punishment and Obedience Stage 2: Rewards
Whatever leads to punishment is The right way to behave is the
wrong way that is rewarded

13. Stage 0
At this stage, the individual:
• Avoids pain and seeks pleasure
• Has no sense of obligation to anyone else
• Self-absorbed (unaware of anyone’s needs other
than those that are self-serving)
• Does what he/she wants to do
• Amoral (unethical)
• Egocentric in assuming that the world revolves
around his/her needs and desires
• No sense of cause-effect
• Typically between the ages of 0-7

14. Stage 1
At this stage, the individual:
• Obey rules to avoid punishment
• Sense of right and wrong is determined by what
is punished and what is not punished
• Obeys superior authority and allows him to make
the rules - authority has the power to inflict pain
• Is responsive to rules that will affect his/her
physical well-being
• Is usually over the age of 7

15. Stage 2
At this stage, the individual:
• Motivated by vengeance or has “an eye for an eye”
philosophy
• Self-absorbed while assuming that he/she is
generous
• Thinks that everyone gets the same, regardless of
need (equal sharing)
• The end justifies the means
• Will do a favor only to get a favor
• Expects a reward for every non-selfish deed he/she
does
• Is usually over the age of 10

16. Level II
Conventional Morality
Stage 3
Good intentions Stage 4
Behaving that conforms to good Obedience to authority
behavior

17. Stage 3
At this stage, the individual:
• Gives importance to peer approval
• Moral decisions are based on what will please a limited
group and make the person feel included
• Considers “majority” as the behavior of the “in crowd” or
peer group
• Thinks that intensions are as important as deeds - expects
others to accept intentions or promises in place of deeds
• Begins to put himself/herself in another’s shoes and think
from another perspective
• May continue to be in this stage until he/she has reached
the age of 20

18. Stage 4
At this stage, the individual:
 Maintenance of law and order is of supreme
important
 Duty-bound - believes in rigid rules that should not
be changed
 Respects authority and obeys it without question
 Supports the rights of the majority or majority rule
without concern for those in the minority
 Is part of about 80% of the population that does not
progress past stage 4

19. Level III
Post-Conventional Morality
Stage 5 Stage 6
Difference between legal and Individual principles of
moral right conscience

20. Stage 5
At this stage, the individual:
• Believes in the greatest amount of good for the
greatest number of people (Utilitarianism)
• Believes in contracts in which both parties compromise
and yet both receive benefits (SCT)
• Believes in consensus (everyone agrees), rather than in
majority rule
• Respects the rights of the minority especially the rights
of the individual
• Believes that change in the law is possible but only
through the system
• Has reached the same stage as the official morality of
the nation

21. Stage 6
At this stage, the individual:
 Does not compromise high principles, thus, may forfeit
his/her life in order to uphold them
 Believes that there are higher moral principles than those
represented by social rules and customs
 Obeys these self-chosen high moral principles
 Is willing to accept the consequences for disobedience of the
social rule he/she has rejected
 Uses only passive resistance and has no use for violence in
any form
 Believes in granting justice and dignity to all human beings as
inalienable human rights
 Respects justice for its moral and legal nature
 Believes that the dignity of humanity is sacred and that all
humans have value

22. Stage 7
At this stage, the individual:
• Is a “seeker of justice in an unjust world”
• Has a cosmic perspective of life
• Neglects any consideration for self
• Focuses on the whole, a view of self as part of the infinite
whole and not as an individual part that is significant
• Feels desperate and sees a problematic world he/she is
incapable of repairing
• Possesses an altruism that is difficult for the world to
understand
• Has the ability to forgive and compassionate that often
runs in conflict with the world’s sense of justice (i.e. moral
level)

23.  Kohlberg observed that some had apparently undergone moral
stage regression
 Could be resolved either by allowing for moral regression or by
extending the theory.
 Kohlberg chose the latter, postulating the existence of sub-
stages in which the emerging stage has not yet been fully
integrated into the personality.
 Kohlberg noted a stage 4½ or 4+, a transition from stage four to
stage five that shared characteristics of both.
 In this stage the individual is disaffected with the arbitrary
nature of law and order reasoning; responsibility is frequently
turned from being defined by society to viewing society itself as
responsible.
 This was often observed in students entering college.

24. SUMMARY
• Outward manifestation of your self –
from the limits of your family to making
DIMENSIONS yourself a responsible member of the
bigger world.
OF MATURITY
• Inner developments that would lead to
a very important aspect of human
MORAL living, knowing what is right and wrong,
and fighting for what is right because
DEVELOPMENT now you know the significance of your
action in the bigger world.

25. References
• Turner, Jeffrey and Helms, Donald. 1989.
Contemporary Adulthood. Rolt Rinehart and
Winston, Inc.
• Bee, Helen. 1992. The Journey of Adulthood.
Macmillan Pub. Co.
• Internet materials
• From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Becca Pangborn, Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral
Development PowerPoint. presentation