Kohlberg Moral Stages

Stage 1: Obedience and Avoiding Punishment

-Premoral Level (can been seen in infants)

-Infants are self centered so they do only what pleases them and don't really care if its right as long as they can get away with it

Example: A little baby really wants to watch tv but he isn't allowed so he creates a ruckus and starts crying

Stage 2: Self-Interest

-Premoral Level (can be seen in preschoolers)

-Preschoolers are said to realize that other people have needs but still consider themselves with the highest priorities at this stage

-Kids' focus at this age shifts from punishments to rewards

Example: Kid starts screaming and yelling in the store for a toy they want, mindless to others around them

Stage 3: Conformity and Interpersonal Accord

-Conventional Level (can be see in the beginning years of school)

-aka "Good girl/boy"

-Attitude shifts from being self centered to wanting to be liked by everyone, so starts doing things to please others and maintain interpersonal relations with new friends

Stage 5: Social Contract

Stage 6: Universal Principles

Stage 4: Authority and Social Order

"Law and Order"

-Conventional Level (can be seen 4h, 5th grade)

-Kids start to look to society and adapt on behavior and actions followed by majority (social order)

-Principle Level (starts to show in teens)

-Teens understand that rules can be bent when necessary (Utilitarian)

-Looks at mutual benefits

-Principle Level (shows in adults)

-Notices how communication affects one

-Says that morality is based on interactions and are looked past the mutual benefits