Hernandez 1

David Hernandez

Mr. O Grady

AP Psychology

3 February 2017

Pros and Cons of Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development

Lawrence Kohlberg is best known for his multi stage theory that aimed to describe how

our moral values and ability to reason develop over our lifespan. The theory is the most famous

and studied on the topic of moral development. While it is the most famous, like any theory it

still has its downsides and opponents.

Lawrence Kohlberg was born in Bronxville, New York on October 25, 1995. He served

in the merchant marines during WWII and later helped smuggle Jews into Palestine. After being

captured and later escaping, he lived in Palestine until he was able to return to America. He

enrolled in the University of Chicago and that is where he began to read into Piagets theory of

cognitive development (Britannica). He soon became a professor at the University of Chicago

and at Harvard, but his teaching was cut short with his suicide by drowning in 1987.

In summary, the theory categorizes our ability to reason into three levels: the

preconventional level, the conventional level, and the postconventional level. The

preconventional level is usually in those under 6 years old (Barons). Those in it often focus on

not being punished. They are scared of their upper authorities (parents, police, etc) and focus on

their own well being. The conventional level follows and lasts from approximately 7-11 years of

age. Those in this stage are heavily influenced by their environment and act in a way to look

good to others in their society. They believe in intentions when determining whether an action
 Hernandez 2

was right or wrong. The final stage is the postconventional and starts around 11 years of age and

lasts for life. People in this stage believe in personal ethics, human rights, and universal good

will (Barons). Not everyone reaches the final stage as most people actually stay in the

conventional stage.

One positive of this theory is that it fit well with Piagets theory of cognitive

development. This is due to the fact that Kohlberg was expanding on Piagets accounts on moral

development (Simply Psychology). Piagets theory in turn can be used to help reinforce

Kohlberg's and the same vice-versa. An example would be Kohlberg's pre conditional level and

Piagets preoperational stage. Both levels share very similar time lengths, with Piagets lasting

from around 2 years of age to 7 and Kohlbergs lasting up to 7 years of age. Piagets

preoperational stage is described as a child being able to symbolize objects and imagine, but still

be unable to see other peoples points of view. The child in turn doesnt really consider the

beliefs and feelings of others. Their egocentric beliefs can be seen in Kohlbergs pre conditional

level as well. In this level, the child focuses mostly on whether they will be punished or

rewarded. The child also becomes driven by self-interest and often asks what they would receive

as a reward for doing something. They only look out for themselves. Both theories are similar

and can be used to help reinforce each other.

Another strength of Kohlbergs theory is how he obtained the moral development of his

subjects. Kohlberg obtained his information by asking a series of dilemmas to various subjects of

different ages. One example is the Heinz dilemma, where a poor man has to choose whether or

not he should steal medicine from a local store or help his dying wife. The subjects all answered

and gave their reasoning as to whether he should or should not steal the medicine. Their
 Hernandez 3

reasoning allowed Kohlberg to see how they think morally at their age (Let's Get to Know). By

using this information, Kohlberg was able to understand how someone is able to justify their

actions at certain age periods. For example, many younger children answered that they would not

steal the medicine because of the fear of getting caught and punished by the authorities (Simply

Psychology). Once the children got older, their reasons started to vary more as many more saw

that the intention outweighed the crime. This helped Kohlberg organize his three levels of moral

development as he was able to see when the children were able to see other points of views and

other factors in the dilemma.

There are concerns however that Kohlbergs theory does not apply to all groups of

people. For example Carol Gilligan, an American psychologist who was actually Kohlbergs

research assistant at Harvard, argued that Kohlbergs theory was based on the responses of boys

and ignored how girls felt about the dilemmas. She also stated that females think differently

morally than males as females want to know more about the situation before making a moral

decision (Barons). Another argument was that Kohlbergs theory only applies to western

cultures. His theory supposedly follows cultural norms in western societies, but doesnt take into

account what the norms may be in another culture (Everyday Life). Whether Kohlberg's theory

can apply universally to everyone still remains to be proven.

Another concern about the theory is the effectiveness of the scenarios being given.

Kohlbergs research was conducted on various boys between the ages of 10-16, and some of the

scenarios given, like the Heinz one, didnt apply to the subjects personally. None of the subjects

had ever been married at the time on the experiment and wouldnt have any idea what it felt like
 Hernandez 4

to be married and in risk of losing their spouse (Simply Psychology). It would have been more

accurate if they were given scenarios that were more realistic for their age and environment.

Kohlberg's theory remains relevant today as it gives a thorough and fairly accurate description of

how we develop morally. Every theory is going to have its critics and concerns, however that is

ok since criticism can help improve theories. After all, theories arent necessarily 100% true,

they are just our attempt to explain our world to the best of our understanding.
 Hernandez 5

Works Cited

Chamomilelavinder. "Kohlbergs Theory of Moral Development A2 AQA." Let's Get to

Know... 13 Dec. 2012. Web. 01 Feb. 2017.

Doorey, Marie. "Lawrence Kohlberg." Encyclopdia Britannica. Encyclopdia Britannica, Inc.,

11 Mar. 2016. Web. 02 Feb. 2017.

"Kohlberg." Moral Development | Simply Psychology. 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 01 Feb. 2017.

McEntarffer, Robert, and Allyson Weseley. Barron's AP Psychology. Hauppauge, NY: Barron's

Educational Series, 2012. Print.

"Pros & Cons of Kohlberg's Moral Development." Our Everyday Life. Web. 01 Feb. 2017.