Kohlberg's Moral Development Theory MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Kohlberg's Moral Development Theory - Download Free PDF

Lawrence Kohlberg proposed a theory of moral development that explains how individuals progress through different stages of moral reasoning as they mature. These stages are grouped into three levels: pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional.

 Key Points

• The conventional level includes the "good boy–good girl orientation", where individuals make moral decisions based on social approval and maintaining relationships.
• In the scenario, Meena helps her classmates not purely out of a sense of right or wrong, but because she wants to be liked and praised by them. Her motivation is driven by the desire to gain social acceptance and approval from others.
• This reflects the third stage of Kohlberg’s theory, the good boy–good girl orientation. At this stage, behavior is guided by the need to meet social expectations and to be seen as "good" by others.

Hint

• The punishment and obedience orientation (Stage 1) is typical of very young children, who obey rules to avoid punishment rather than out of concern for others.
• The instrumental purpose orientation (Stage 2) is based on self-interest and reciprocity—doing something to get something in return—rather than seeking approval.
• The social contract orientation (Stage 5) appears at a much later stage and involves understanding broader societal rules and individual rights, not just seeking approval.

Hence, the correct answer is good boy–good girl orientation

Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory of moral development explains how individuals’ understanding of right and wrong evolves through stages. His model is divided into three main levels: pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional, each containing specific stages. 

Key Points

•  A child who follows rules primarily to avoid punishment demonstrates reasoning at the pre-conventional level. At this stage, moral decisions are guided by direct consequences for oneself rather than understanding broader social norms or ethical considerations.
• The child’s focus is on obedience to avoid negative outcomes, which reflects the first stage within the pre-conventional level known as the obedience and punishment orientation.
• This early moral reasoning is typical in young children before they develop the ability to internalize societal values.

Hint

• The conventional level involves conforming to social rules and seeking approval from others.
• The post-conventional level is marked by abstract reasoning about universal ethical principles.
• The universal ethical principles stage is a part of the post-conventional level where morality is guided by internal principles.

Hence, the correct answer is pre-conventional level.

Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory of moral development outlines how individuals progress through different stages of moral reasoning, from basic obedience to abstract ethical principles. While influential, the theory has faced criticism, especially regarding its cultural and gender applicability. Critics argue that Kohlberg’s model may reflect Western, male-centric perspectives and might not fully capture moral reasoning in diverse cultural or gender contexts.

Key Points

•  The assertion highlights valid criticism of Kohlberg’s theory, pointing out its cultural bias and male-focused research samples.
• Kohlberg primarily studied boys from Western societies, which limits the theory’s generalizability. The reason explains that moral reasoning can vary significantly across cultures and genders, meaning Kohlberg’s stages may not represent moral development universally.
• For instance, some cultures emphasize community and relationships more than individual justice, which Kohlberg’s framework may underplay. Similarly, research has shown gender differences in moral reasoning, such as females focusing more on care and responsibility.
• Thus, the reason directly supports the assertion by explaining why Kohlberg’s theory faces these limitations.

Hence, the correct answer is that both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Lawrence Kohlberg's theory of moral development outlines how individuals progress in their moral reasoning through a series of stages grouped under three main levels: pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional. The third stage falls under the conventional level and is known as the "good interpersonal relationships" stage. At this stage, moral reasoning is based on social approval and maintaining close relationships.

Key Points

•  In the "good interpersonal relationships" stage, individuals judge actions by whether they will gain the approval of others or help maintain good relationships.
• The focus is on being a "good" person in the eyes of family, peers, or society, emphasizing intentions such as kindness, loyalty, and trust. This stage reflects a shift from self-interest to concern for others and societal expectations.
• People operating at this level value empathy, care, and mutual respect. Ravi, for example, would act morally to be seen as honest or kind by others, rather than out of fear or abstract principles.
• This clearly aligns with the idea of being a good person by maintaining the approval of others and nurturing relationships.

Hint

•  Avoiding punishment as motivation belongs to the first stage of pre-conventional morality.
• Obeying laws to maintain order corresponds to the fourth stage, also under the conventional level, but more focused on societal law than relationships.
• Making decisions based on universal principles is part of post-conventional morality and reflects higher abstract thinking beyond societal norms.

Hence, the correct answer is being a good person means having the approval of others and maintaining relationships.

Nancy having good knowledge about the rules of society but being rigid in her perception of a problem, suggests that she is likely operating within the Conventional level.

Key Points

Conventional Level (Stage 3 and Stage 4):

• Stage 3: Good boy/nice girl orientation: At this stage, individuals value interpersonal relationships and want to be seen as good people in the eyes of others.
• They conform to social norms and seek approval from others.
• Stage 4: Law and order orientation: Individuals at this stage are concerned with maintaining social order.
• They value authority, law, and order. Conformity to societal expectations is crucial, and individuals believe that following the rules is essential for a functioning society.

Hence, we can conclude that Nancy belongs to the Conventional level of Kohlberg's moral development.

Lawrence Kohlberg, an American psychologist, has propounded the 'Theory of Moral Development. He has made a systematic study of moral development in his theory that is categorised into 3 levels and 6 stages.  

Key Points

• Good boy-good girl Orientation  comes under the Conventional stage of lawence kohlberg. this stage of moral development is focused on living up to social expectations and roles. There is an emphasis on conformity, being "nice," and consideration of how choices influence relationships.

Hence, it could be concluded that the stage 'Good boy-good girl' is related to the Conventional stage of Kohlberg's moral development theory.

Additional InformationRefer to the table to be familiar with all the levels of Kohlberg's theory.

Together with the development of cognition and social skills, children develop along the dimension of moral values and reasoning. They learn the rules for right and wrong and understand other laws and rules.

• Lawrence Kohlberg, an American psychologist, has propounded the 'Theory of Moral Development'. He has made a systematic study of moral development in his theory that is categorized into 3 levels and 6 stages. 
• Kohlberg studied moral development by posing moral dilemmas to groups of children as well as adolescents and adults. These dilemmas take the form of stories.

Key Points

According to Lawrence Kohlberg, moral development takes place at three levels. All the levels of development are universal in nature and focus on morality, the universal objective of moral development is to develop a behavior acceptable to the society to do what is right.

• The pre-moral level: At the pre-moral stage, children learn right and wrong from the people around them. Their conduct is determined by external factors like approval and disapproval by authority figures or rewards and punishment.
• Thus, a child’s behavior is oriented towards obedience and punishment. As the child approaches middle childhood, the capacity to understand relationships and moral codes expand and it continues to grow in adolescence.
• The level of conventional morality: At the level of conventional morality, children tend to believe that rules can be changed if they do not serve the common good of society.
• Post-conventional morality: In the post-conventional stage of moral development, the sense of right and wrong is decided by one’s own conscience and nothing can be imposed from outside. One may keep certain universals like value for life at the highest order of values and may also break a law for the same.

Thus, it is concluded that stages of moral development are universal in nature is the characteristic of Kohlberg's model of moral development.

Lawrence Kohlberg, an American psychologist, has propounded the 'Theory of Moral Development. He has made a systematic study of moral development in his theory that is categorized into 3 levels and 6 stages.

Key Points

The above-mentioned characteristic is related to the 'conventional level of morality as it is a stage of morality in which:

• Children become aware of the rules of society.
• Children follow social rules and norms to avoid guilt.

Hence, it could be concluded that according to Kohlberg "a stage of moral development during which individuals judge morality largely in terms of existing social norms or rules" is known as the 'conventional level of morality.

Important Points

Refer to the table to be familiar with all the levels of Kohlberg's theory.

Lawrence Kohlberg, an American psychologist, has propounded the 'Theory of Moral Development'. He has made a systematic study of moral development in his theory that is categorized into 3 levels and 6 stages.  

Key PointsSudipta demonstrates the Universal ethical principles stage of moral development because she believes it is the right thing to do even though she often finds herself in life-threatening situations when helping these children.

• In Universal Ethical Principle Orientation, the behavior always driven by internal moral Principles.
• Right action is defined by self-chosen ethical principles of conscience that are valid for all humanity, regardless of the law and social agreement.
• It is related to abstract universal principles that are valid for all humanity.

Hence, we can conclude that option 4 is correct.

Important Points Refer to the table to be familiar with all the levels of Kohlberg's theory.

Lawrence Kohlberg, an American psychologist, has propounded the 'Theory of Moral Development. He has made a systematic study of moral development in his theory that is categorised into 3 levels and 6 stages.  

Important PointsThe above-mentioned stage is related to the 'pre-moral' and 'pre-conventional level' of Kohlberg's moral development as according to Kohlberg, in the pre-conventional level of moral development:

• the child shows no internalization of moral values.
• moral reasoning of the child is controlled externally.
• child's morality is influenced by rewards and punishment.

Hence, it could be concluded that the stage 'obedience for avoiding punishment' is related to the 'pre-moral' and 'pre-conventional' levels of Kohlberg's moral development theory. Additional InformationRefer to the table to be familiar with all the levels of Kohlberg's theory.

Lawrence Kohlberg, an American psychologist, has propounded the 'Theory of Moral Development'. According to Lawrence Kohlberg, moral development takes place at three levels: 

•  The pre-moral level
•  The level of conventional morality
•  Post-conventional morality

Key Points

Pre- conventional: 

• At the pre-conventional level, children learn right and wrong from the people around them. Their conduct is determined by external factors like approval and disapproval by authority figures or rewards and punishment. Thus, a child’s behavior is oriented towards obedience and punishment.

Conventional morality:

• It is the second level of moral development. It is characterized by acceptance of societal rules concerning right and wrong.
• It includes society and societal rules in judging the morality of an action and hence at this level is moral thinking based on taking the initial perspective of the society.

Post-conventional morality:

• In the post-conventional level of moral development, the sense of right and wrong is decided by one’s own conscience and nothing can be imposed from outside.
• One may keep certain universals like value for life at the highest order of values and may also break a law for the same.

Thus, it is concluded that according to the Theory of Lawrence Kohlberg, at the conventional level, moral thinking is based on taking an initial perspective of society.

Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development is a theory that focuses on how children develop "morality" and "moral reasoning". Kohlberg's theory suggests that moral development occurs in three-level and each level has two stages

• The theory also suggests that moral logic is primarily focused on seeking and maintaining justice. It is based on the idea of Jean Piaget about children's righteous judgment.

Key Points

Stages of Moral Development: Kohlberg's theory is broken down into three primary levels. At each level of moral development, there are two stages.

Level 1. Preconventional Morality (4 to 10 years): Preconventional morality is the earliest period of moral development. At this age, children's decisions are primarily shaped by the expectations of adults and the consequences of breaking the rules. There are two stages within this level:

• Stage 1 (Obedience and Punishment): Children at this stage see "rules as fixed and absolute". Obeying the rules is important because it is a way to avoid punishment. In this children ignore the intention of others and instead focus on the fear of authority and negative consequences. 
• Stage 2 (Instrumental purpose and exchange): At the individualism and exchange stage of moral development, children account for individual points of view and judge actions based on how they serve individual needs. 

Level 2. Conventional Morality (10 to 13 years): The next period of moral development is marked by the acceptance of social rules regarding what is good and moral. During this time, adolescents and adults internalize the moral standards they have learned from their role models and from society.

• Stage 3 (Good-Boy Good-girl orientation): This stage of the interpersonal relationship of moral development is focused on living up to social expectations and roles. There is an emphasis on conformity, being "nice" and consideration of how choices influence relationships.
• Stage 4 (Social concern and conscience): This stage is focused on ensuring that social order is maintained. The focus is on maintaining law and order by following the rules, doing one’s duty, and respecting authority.

Level 3. Postconventional Morality (13 to 16 years): At this level of moral development, people develop an understanding of abstract principles of morality. The two stages at this level are:

• Stage 5 (Social Contract and Individual Rights): At this stage, the people believe that rules of law are important for maintaining a society, but members of society should agree upon these standards.
• Stage 6 (Universal Ethical Principles): Kohlberg’s final level of moral reasoning is based on universal ethical principles and abstract reasoning. At this stage, people follow these internalized principles of justice, even if they conflict with laws and rules.

Hence, we can conclude that social concern and conscience is a sub-stage in Kohlberg's 'conventional stage' of Moral Development.

Moral reasoning, though, is one factor in moral behavior, it is the single most important factor yet discovered in moral behavior. The word moral has been taken from the word mores which means manners and customs. In the simplest terms, it is a sense of right and wrong. It includes moral behavior, moral reasoning, and judgment.

Important Points Moral reasoning is a thinking process involved in making decisions about what is right and what is wrong. Moral reasoning refers to weighing options as right or wrong. This is based on whether or not we are able to understand multiple perspectives related to the problem.

Key Points Moral reasoning passes through three different levels, namely pre-conventional stage, conventional stage, and post-conventional stage. The stage of moral reasoning being used by the person. In general, it is thought that acting in a moral way demands a higher stage of moral reasoning.

• In the pre-conventional stages, the reasoning is somewhat self-centered and focuses on the personal consequences of an individual’s behaviors.
• Then in the conventional stage, reasoning focuses on what is considered acceptable moral rules.
• Later during adolescence, the individuals enter the post-conventional stage in which they rely on abstract principles. A brief description of the stages of moral development as envisaged by Kohlberg.

Hence, we can conclude that the thinking process involved in making decisions about what is right and what is wrong is known as moral reasoning.

Additional Information 

• A moral dilemma is a conflict of morals, where you are forced to choose between two or more options and you have a moral reason to choose and not choose each option.
• Moral realism is a thesis in ontology, the study of what is. The ontological category “moral facts” includes both the descriptive moral judgment that is allegedly true of an individual, such as, “Sam is morally good,” and the descriptive moral judgment that is allegedly true for all individuals such as, “Lying for personal gain is wrong.”
• The morality of cooperation, considered to occur between the ages of 10 and 11 implies that children are then able to perceive rules as simple social constructs - something that society believes to be correct."

Lawrence Kohlberg, an American psychologist, has propounded the 'Theory of Moral Development'. Kohlberg's theory suggests that moral development occurs in three-level and each level has two stages

• Preconventional Level
  • Stage-1 Punishment-obedience orientation
  • Stage-2 Instrumental-exchange orientation
• Conventional level
  • Stage-3 Good-boy-nice-girl orientation
  • Stage-4 System-maintaining orientation
• Postconventional Level
  • Stage-5 Social-contract situation
  • Stage-6 Universal-ethical-principles orientation

Key Points

• Preconventional Level: This is the stage for young children below the age of 9. At the pre-conventional stage, children learn right and wrong from the people around them.
• Their conduct is determined by external factors like approval and disapproval by authority figures or rewards and punishment. Thus, a child’s behavior is oriented towards obedience and punishment.
• At a young age, they believe that rules are meant to be followed and those in charge will undoubtedly follow through with punishment. As the child approaches middle childhood, the capacity to understand relationships and moral codes expands and it continues to grow in adolescence. 

Thus, it is concluded that according to Lawrence Kohlberg punishment and obedience is the primary basis for 7-8-year-old children's moral decision.

Hint

•  At the level of conventional morality (older children, adolescents, and most adults), children tend to believe that rules can be changed if they do not serve the common good of society.
• In the post-conventional stage(adults) of moral development, the sense of right and wrong is decided by one’s own conscience and nothing can be imposed from outside. One may keep certain universals like value for life at the highest order of values and may also break a law for the same.

Lawrence Kohlberg, an American psychologist, has propounded the 'Theory of Moral Development.

Key Points

• Preconventional morality is the first stage of moral development and lasts until approximately age 9.
• For example, if an action leads to punishment, then the action is considered o be bad, and if it leads to a reward, it is considered to be good.
• At the pre-conventional level children don’t have a personal code of morality, and instead moral decisions are shaped by the standards of adults and the consequences of following or breaking their rules.
• Authority is outside the individual and children often make moral decisions based on the physical consequences of actions.
• Children often make moral decisions based on how it will impact them. When they make good decisions or don't make bad decisions, it is less about principles or values and more about some sort of reinforcement they receive.

Hence, we can conclude that Preetha obeys her parents and teachers due to fear of punishment. According to Kohlberg’s theory, she belongs to Pre conventional morality.