Growth and Development Q 35
Kim and her daughter Jane went grocery shopping to only buy essential things needed at home. As they went along the different sections of the store, Jane saw a limited-edition Barbie doll. She is tempted to get it but decides not to grab it for fear of being slapped. This behavior of Jane is considered to be in what stage of Kohlberg’s Moral Development?
A. Conventional Stage 3: Good Boy/Nice Girl Orientation
B. Preconventional Stage 1: Punishment/Obedience Orientation
C. Conventional Stage 2: Law and Order Orientation
D. Preconventional Stage 2: Instrumental Relativist Orientation
Correct Answer: B. Preconventional Stage 1: Punishment/Obedience Orientation
Jane is in the pre-conventional level stage 1 where judgment is motivated by fear of punishment. Children in this stage are responsive to rules that will affect their physical well-being. Stage 1 focuses on the child’s desire to obey rules and avoid being punished. For example, an action is perceived as morally wrong because the perpetrator is punished; the worse the punishment for the act is, the more “bad” the act is perceived to be.
Option A: This is the stage where proper behavior is driven by social approval. In stage 3, children want the approval of others and act in ways to avoid disapproval. Emphasis is placed on good behavior and people being “nice” to others.
Option C: This is the stage where obeying laws is one’s duty to society and a sign of respect for authority. In stage 4, the child blindly accepts rules and conventions because of their importance in maintaining a functioning society. Rules are seen as being the same for everyone, and obeying rules by doing what one is “supposed” to do is seen as valuable and important.
Option D: This is the stage where a person bases heavily on obtaining a reward or exchanging favors. Stage 2 expresses the “what’s in it for me?” position, in which right behavior is defined by whatever the individual believes to be in their best interest. Stage two reasoning shows a limited interest in the needs of others, only to the point where it might further the individual’s own interests.