Kohlberg, Turiel, Bandura, and Piaget all had their own theories on moral development.
Moral development focuses on the change, emergence, and understanding of morality from
birth to adulthood. It is believed that morality develops throughout your life in different ways
and is influenced by your own personal experiences and choices when faced with moral issues
throughout different parts of your cognitive development. As an educator understanding moral
development and how a person’s cognitive abilities change as they grow can help you create
lesson plans and make sure you are helping each student depending on where they are at
within their cognitive development. The four previous psychologists mentioned all had their
own theories on moral development. Some of their theories are similar and some differ. Some
believe and align depending on age and some differ and align based off of personal experiences.
Piaget’s theory of cognitive development includes a theory about the development of
moral reasoning. He believed that cognitive structures and abilities develop first (Slavin &
Schunk, 2021). Piaget believed that as a person gets older their cognitive abilities get better.
When this happens their understanding of moral problems become more mature. In other
terms he believed that someone’s understanding of right from wrong solely depended on the
person’s age. Piaget found that by age six, children acknowledged the existence of rules,
thought they were inconsistent in following them (Slavin & Schunk, 2021). According to Piaget,
children do not have the ability to understand reasoning when it comes to other people’s
actions. During a study that Piaget did he found out that younger children do not understand
why someone would do something wrong they only see the outcome, whereas older children
are able to process the whole story and understands a person intent or reasoning. There are
two different stages of morality according to Piaget. These stages are heteronomous morality
and autonomous morality. Heteronomous morality means being subject to rules imposed by
others (Slavin & Schunk, 2021). Piaget also described children at this stage as judging the
morality of behavior on the basis of its consequences (Slavin & Schunk, 2021). Autonomous
morality starts between the ages of ten to twelve. During his study Piaget observed that
children at this age tend to base moral judgements on the intentions of the actor rather than on
the consequences of the actions (Slavin & Schunk, 2021).
As used in psychological studies, “moral character” has generally retained its common-
sense meaning as the sum total of a set of virtues (Hoffman & Hoffman, 1964). According to
Kohlberg there are six stages of moral development plus a pre-conventional level. Kohlberg
says, we can reach just decisions by looking at a situation through one another’s eyes (Kohlberg,
1971). Kohlberg did base his studies off of Piaget’s. Kohlberg studies how children and adults’
reason about rules that govern their behavior in certain situations (Slavin & Schunk 2021).
Kohlberg took his six stages and grouped them into three different levels. These stages
consisted of preconventional level, conventional level, and postconventional level.
Preconventional level is younger children who look at the result of an action to determine if it
was good or bad. In the conventional stage children can put themselves in someone else’s
shoes when make decisions. He believed that at this stage children could consider the feelings
of others when they are making moral decisions. In the postconventional level of morality is a
level of moral reasoning that is attained by fewer than twenty-five percent of adults, according
to Kohlberg, in which there is a realization that the laws and values of society are somewhat
arbitrary and particular to that society (Slavin & Schunk, 2021). Kohlberg though that moral
dilemmas could be used to help a child’s level of moral reasoning advance. He also believed
that this could only be accomplished one stage at a time. One thing that has been noted in the
recent years about his research was that it was limited because it focused mainly on boys. It has
since been said that moral reasoning is different between girls and boys, so Kohlberg’s findings
do not fit that of most children who are female.
Elliot Turiel was another well-known psychologist that developed his own theory on
social and moral development. He formulated a theory of domains of social development
involving the development of moral judgements (based on the concepts of welfare, justice, and
rights) and their distinction, throughout development, from the understanding of the
conventions and customs of societies (“Elliot Turiel,” n.d.). There were three parts to his theory:
Social conventions of a child, moral development of a child, and the psychological view of
themselves and or others.
Social learning theory is a major outgrowth of the behavioral learning theory tradition
(Slavin & Schunk, 2021). Developed by Albert Bandura, social learning theory accepts most of
the principals of behavioral theories but focuses to much greater degree on the effects of cues
on behavior and on internal processes, emphasizing the effects of thought on action and the
effects of action on the thought (Schunk, 2016). He thought that moral development was
gained through social learning and contact. His theory had four different phases. He believed
that children learned morality from their role models. As they grew children would start to
grow from their own prior decisions and behaviors. As children grow and they start learning
how their past decisions and behaviors affected them it helps them grow within their moral
development.
Piaget and Kohlberg’s theories are very similar. Kohlberg did base his studies off of
Piaget’s studies. Their studies focus on observations of children and their reasoning behind
their morals decision making. They both defined their stages with ages. Depending on what a
child’s age was determined what stage they were in. Even though their stages of development
did differ to an extent that had some of the same basis. They also both believed that outside
influences affected how a child’s moral development developed. Both of their theories on
moral development proposed a hierarchical order of stages in development, with each stage
building upon the one before it. They also believed that development did not happen quickly,
but happened over time and was heavily influenced by an individual’s experiences and
interactions with their environment and the people around them. They both believed that the
individual had to be active in participating their growth and understanding of the world around
them.
Elliot Turiel and Albert Bandura’s theories of moral development have a few interesting
differences between them. Elliot Turiel’s theory of moral development is based off of two
different components. These are psychological and sociomoral. He believed that the
component of moral development involves the acquisition of rules and standards that govern
social interactions. He believed that society help develop ones moral understanding. Albert
Bandura on the other hand though children’s role models played the biggest part in their moral
development. He thought it was based off of social learning and interactions. He said that
children behave based off of the behaviors that their role models engage in. They watch their
role models and then imitate the behaviors that they think are correct and appropriate.
The theory that stands out most to mine in line with a biblical worldview is Kohlberg’s
theory. I say this because in the conventional stage children can put themselves in someone
else’s shoes when make decisions. He believed that at this stage children could consider the
feelings of others when they are making moral decisions. That is something that is very
important to have when living a biblical life. “And as you wish that others would do to you, do
so to them.” (Luke 6:31) (ESV). “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he
will not depart from it.” (ESV) (Proverbs 22:6). This bible verse to me means make sure that you
show your child correct behaviors and interactions. “So whatever you wish that others would
do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (ESV) (Matthew 7:12).
In conclusion these four psychologists have given the word a lot of thought about moral
development. No one theory is absolute, and children are all different. It is shown that children
do grow and learn best from watching their parents, friends, teachers, and from their
experiences. All of these things can lead to a child’s moral development. Moral development is
also a crucial part in living a life that is of the biblical worldview. We must treat others how we
want to be treated. Understanding the concept of moral development is very important for
educators. When an educator understands moral development they can better assist children
with their moral decisions and help their moral development grow and flourish.
References
Elliot Turiel. (n.d.). Berkeley School of Education. https://bse.berkeley.edu/elliot-turiel
Hoffman, L. W., & Hoffman, M. L. (1964). Review of child development research: Volume 1. Russell Sage
Foundation. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=0-
u4BgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA383&dq=lawrence+kohlberg+&ots=2lfb7Ph98
M&sig=fK-yDnnWyUqffbryw1Pqi3G9Eyk#v=onepage&q=lawrence
%20kohlberg&f=false
The holy Bible: ESV (English standard version) containing the old and new testaments. (2008). Crossway
Books.
Kohlberg, L. (1971). Stages of Moral Development According to Kohlberg.
Slavin, R. E., & Schunk, D. H. (2021). Learning Theories EDUC 500 for Liberty University (3rd ed.).
Pearson.
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