Question

During a test, zoe's teacher tells him and his classmates that if she catches them cheating, she would give them poor grades. Hence, zoe refuses to cheat during the test though his classmates cheat when the teacher steps outside the room. In the context of kohlberg's stages of moral development, zoe is at the _____ of moral development in this scenario.

Answer 1

Zoe is at the STAGE ONE of moral development in this scenario.

The theory of Lawrence Kohlberg has six stages divided into 3 leveles:

LEVEL 1 ( PRE-CONVENTIONAL)

1. Obedience and punishment orientation
2. Self-interest orientation

LEVEL 2 (CONVENTIONAL)

1. Interpersonal accord and conformity
2. Authority and social order maintaining orientation

LEVEL 3 ( POST-CONVENTIONAL)

1. Social contract orientation
2. Universal ethical principles

In STAGE 1, if an action is perceived as morally wrong ( as cheating), the "doer" of the action is punished.

An example of obedience and punishment driven morality would be a Zoe refusing to cheat because it is wrong and that the consequences could result in punishment. (teacher giving him poor grades).

Answer 2

Zoe is at the punishment and obedience stage of moral development in this scenario.

According to this stage the child is good in order to avoid being punished. So she has the idea that if a person is punished, they must have done wrong.

Following the Kohlberg's theory , this stage is the first one on the first level of Moral Development, which is called Pre-conventional morality. By this moment, Zoe doesn’t have a personal code of morality. Instead, her moral code is shaped by the standards of adults and the consequences of following or breaking their rules. For Zoe, the authority is out of herself and her reasoning is based on the physical consequences of actions.