A nurse is assessing the moral development of an 11-year-old-child. The nurse determines normal moral development has been achieved when the parents make which of the following statements?
"Our child is always trying to please us."
Rationale:
Between the ages of 10 and 13 years of age, children are at the conventional level of Kohlberg's moral development theory. The school-age child wants to please and conform to social norms. If a school-age child is not conforming and is always getting into trouble, they have not met the conventional level. Knowing what is morally right and wrong occurs at the postconventional level of morality during adolescence (13 and older). Distraction to prevent injury is used with toddlers who are in the substage of the preconventional stage, which involves punishment and reward.
