Lecture Goals

• Introduce Developmental Psychology
• Introduce Moral Reasoning
• Introduce Psychosocial Development

• Chapter 4

Jim's wife has a rare fatal disease. The local pharmacist has just invented a drug that could save her. The drug costs $20,000. Jim tries to raise the money to buy the drug, but fails. He can not raise the money in time to save his wife. One night after the pharmacy closes Jim steals the medication.

Should Jim have stolen the medicine?

Yes, because _____.
No, because _____.

Kasey, a 24 yr. old unmarried woman, becomes pregnant.

Should Kasey have the child?

Yes, because _____.
No, because _____.

Moral Reasoning

= ability to make judgments about right and wrong

• Investigated by Jean Piaget
• Tied moral reasoning to cog. dev.
• Tested with stories
• Ex. Teacup story

• preschoolers consider amount of damage
• preschoolers do NOT consider intentions
• older children consider intentions

• extended Piaget's work to include teenagers and adults
• Also used stories (Ex. - Jim story)
• 3 levels of moral reasoning:
• Preconventional
• Conventional
• Postconventional

Focus on interests of individual

2 stages:

• Punishment Orientation
• Reward Orientation

- obey rules to avoid punishment

Jim should:

• Steal drug = avoid guilt for death
• Not steal = avoid guilt for theft, jail

- seek rewards or favors

Jim should:

• Steal drug = gains wife's life
• Not steal = gains insurance $$$, heaven

Focus on pleasing others
 
2 stages:

• Good boy/Good girl Orientation
• Authority Orientation

- seek to avoid social disapproval

Jim should:

• Steal drug = avoid her family's disapproval, "bad husband" label
• Not steal = to avoid "criminal" label, avoid own family's disapproval

- Do one's duty (follow social rules)

Jim should:

• Steal drug = social duty to care for wife
• Not steal = social duty as consumer, as law abiding citizen

Focus on universal moral principles

2 stages (require abstract thought):

• Social Contract Orientation
• Ethical Principle Orientation (few reach)

- focus on rights, freedoms, respect

Jim should:

• Steal drug = maintain self-respect, respect from others
• Not steal = maintain own freedoms, respect, another's rights

- focus on self-chosen principles

Jim should:

• Steal drug = to meet own standards of conscience
• Not steal = to meet own standards of honesty

• Moral reasoning ¹moral action
• No role of social influence
• Difficulty categorizing rationales
• Kohlberg used only male subjects
• women typically score lower
• theory not as applicable to women

Men & women socialized to view moral behavior differently

• Men = in terms of broad abstractions (e.g., justice, fairness)
• Women = focus on individual well-being and social relationships

Have the child?

• No, prevents her from doing other things
• Yes, provides opportunities for her to... (move away from home, receive love)

Have the child?

• No, will upset her parents
• Yes, make her parents happy

• Designed for women only
• Do men and women really differ morally?
• Stereotypes genders rather than account for both sexes

• 8 stages
• each requires a conflict to be resolved

Q = Can I count on others?

• infants develop feelings of trust if attachment needs are met
• otherwise develop feelings of mistrust

Q = Can I act independently?

• toddlers develop independence if exploration is supported
• caregivers must provide appropriate amount of control
• too much = child. do NOT develop sense of control over environ., becomes overly dependent
• too little = child. becomes overly controlling & demanding

Stage 3: Initiative vs. guilt (3 - 6)

Q = Am I a good or bad person?

• child wants to initiate activities independently
• child feels guilt over unwanted or unexpected consequences
• Parents should support child's attempts at independence

Q = Am I worthy/successful?

• depends on é competency in all areas (soc. interactions,school,etc.)
• no é = feelings of inadequacy

Q = Who am I?

• Pressures to decide what want to do with life
• People try to determine what makes them special/unique
• Major physical changes
• é reliance on peers for info.
• ê reliance on adults for info.
• lack of stable identity = problems
• social deviance
• relationship problems

Q = Do I want a life partner?

• Focus on developing close relationships with others
• failure = fear, loneliness, intimacy problems

Q = Contribution to future generations?

• Focus on family, work, society roles
• failure = feelings of life triviality
• success = feelings of continuity

Q = Do I have any regrets?

• failure = regret over what might have been
• success = sense of accomplish.