Piaget contest

Give the stage and approximate age

Answer Michelle and Gary

separately
Michelle complains because her brother Gary

has taken two cookies when he only gave her

one. Gary takes her cookie and breaks it in
half saying, Now we both have two. Michelle
yells at him Not fair, all you did was break
mine into two pieces!
Stages:

Gary pre-operational/early concrete 5-7ish

Michelle late concrete operational 9+

 Jenny sits in class and daydreams about

what kind of society could be created if a

group of humans from all over the world
moved to a newly discovered planet.
Stage: Formal Operational abstract thinking

age 12+

 Heathers ball rolls out of sight under the

sofa. She stares at the sofa for a few

seconds and then turns and starts to play with
her doll.
Stage: Sensorimotor, age less than 8 months

 Elissa becomes upset because her sisters

scoop of ice cream looks taller than her own.

Her mother squashes down the sisters scoop
and Elissa is happy now that it looks like they
have the same amount.
Stage: Preoperational/early concrete 3-7

 Matthews teacher decides that since the

math class is so bright, he will introduce them

to algebra. Matthew cant understand what
his teacher means when he says that x is a
number. Matthew thinks to himself, Silly Mr.
Morphett doesnt know that x is a letter.
Stage: late concrete, 9/10

Remember.
Basket Theory of

mind in place
Box Theory of mind
not in place

Lawrence Kohlberg
Inspired by the work of Piaget

Moral reasoning progresses sequentially

through a series of developmental stages

Method was to use moral dilemmas (Heinz) to

investigate childrens reasoning

Identified six stages (2 per level)

Kohlbergs Stages Fill in the

blanks
Postconventional
level

Conventional
level

Preconventional
level

Right vs wrong
is decided by
universal values
Right vs wrong
depends on following
rules and laws
Right vs wrong
depends on whether you get
punished or rewarded

Moral Development - Kohlberg

Preconventional
Children have little awareness of moral behavior
that is socially or culturally acceptable
Rules are something they have to follow
because others tell them to but they do not
truly believe in the rules

Stage 1: Punishment - Obedience

Behaviour is based on fear of consequences
Will I get into trouble?

Stage 2: Naively Egotistical

This is the What will you give me? stage in
order for them to obey, they want something in
return.

Moral Development - Kohlberg

Conventional

Stage 3: Approval Disapproval

Do the right thing so as to be seen as a good
person
What will people think of me?

Stage 4: Rule Following Law & Order

Do the right thing out of may want to steal but
must follow law
What is right and wrong is determined by
our social institutions (law, school,
church) and we must conform to maintain
social order no questioning!

Moral Development - Kohlberg

Post-conventional developing true

morality

Stage 5: Social Contract

The needs of the group should come before
individual needs.
The right behavior is that which protects
the rights of the individual according to
rules agreed upon by the whole society

Stage 6: Universal Ethical Principle

Self-determined moral ideas based on justice,
dignity and equality (involves critical evaluation
of the laws)

Kohlbergs Question ????

In Europe, a woman was near death from
cancer. One drug might save her, a form of
radium that a druggist in the same town had
recently discovered. The druggist was charging
$90,000, ten times what the drug cost him to
make. The sick womans husband, Heinz, went
to everyone he knew to borrow the money, but
could only get together about half of what it
cost. He told the druggist that his wife was
dying and asked him to sell it cheaper or let
him pay later. But the druggist said, No The
husband later broke into the mans store to
steal the drug for his wife. (Kohlberg 1969)

Preconventional
In this stage, the child has not internalized moral

values - children obey because adults tell them to

and they know that they will be punished if they dont
and/or rewarded if they do.
Possible response:

Heinz shouldnt have stolen the drug because he will

go to jail
He should do it as long as he doesnt get caught

Its important to note that their moral thinking is based on

self-interest. Children in this stage will obey when it is best
for them to obey.

Conventional
Older children are at an intermediate level of

internalization where they see rules as needed to

maintain social order.

Typically in early adolescence, there is reliance on

interpersonal norms of trust, caring, and loyalty to make
moral judgments

Possible responses:

Heinz should have stolen the drug because that is what is

expected of him as a husband.
It may be good for Heinz to want to steal to help his wife,
but it is still wrong because stealing is against the law

Post-conventional
Moral development is completely internalized supported by the

ability to recognize alternative moral courses, explore options,

and personal moral codes

The individual weighs the community rights versus personal

rights. Values and laws are relative and standards may vary but
some values (such as freedom) are more important than the law

Possible responses:

The law wasnt set up for circumstances such as the ones

presented and so Heinz has the right to steal the drug.
Heinz shouldnt steal the drug as the druggist may stop
manufacturing cancer fighting drugs and then many people
would die

Post-conventional
They see a justification for technically illegal behavior

when it is in the best interest of society to save a

human life, for example.
They also make moral judgments based on

universal human rights.

During an ethical dilemma between law and

conscience a personal, individual conscience is
followed.

Criticisms of Kohlberg
Inherent Western bias (individualistic culture)
Masculine point of view - detached reasoning

rather than emotional

Life situations that children would not have

encountered

Carol Gilligan

Gilligans Moral Stages

Gilligans theory of moral development

includes 3 general phases (stages) which

humans can develop. They are:
morality as individual survival
morality as self-sacrifice
morality as equality
Gilligans theory is often considered to be a

feminist view of moral development.

Gilligan expanded
Morality as individual survival

The young childs first sense of what is good

for them. Young children follow rules to obtain
rewards for themselves and avoid punishment

Morality as self-sacrifice

This is attained after becoming aware of the

needs of others. In this stage, the person
believes that to be good and to be approved of
by others, they must sacrifice their own needs
and meet the needs of others

Gilligan expanded
Morality as equality

the person views their own needs as equal to

those of others.

People at this stage have progressed from

believing that they must always please others

at the expense of their own wishes to a belief
that everyones needs should be met when
possible sacrifices should be shared equally
when the needs of all cannot be met

This involves advocacy of non-violence

Eriksons Stages of
Development

Trust vs. mistrust

Birth to 1 year
Treatment by caregivers creates trust in a good world

Autonomy vs. shame and doubt

1 to 2 years
Child is allowed to make independent decisions or is
made to feel ashamed/full of doubt about own
decisions
Initiative vs. guilt

3 to 6 years
Child either develops own purpose/direction or is
made to feel guilty by overly controlling caregivers

Eriksons Stages of
Development
Industry vs. inferiority
6 to 11 years
Child either feels competent working with others or
inferior

Identity vs. role confusion

Adolescence
Adolescent either grasps sense of identity or
becomes confused about possible future roles as
adult
Intimacy vs. isolation

Young adulthood (ages 20 to 40)

Forming deep/intimate relationships with others or
becoming socially isolated

Eriksons Stages of
Development

Generativity vs. self-absorption/stagnation

Middle adulthood (ages 40 to 65)

Generativity refers to contributing to the welfare of a
new generation at work, home or in the community
Determining what to leave behind for future
generations or failing to grasp a sense of meaning in
life

Integrity vs. despair

Late adulthood (ages 65 and up)

Feeling that life was worthwhile or feeling despair
about ones life and fearing death

As an exercise
Create a scenario where you have an individual

that conforms to each of the stage theories

Decide on the age then describe their

capabilities or challenges

Cognitively what can they do, morally how do they

reason, psychosocially, what do they need to
resolve?
Create your scenarios then justify your description by
connecting to the theories
As a bonus use Gilligans theory or do an additional
scenario of an individual who is an example of the
criticisms of the stage theories

Physical Changes as you Age

Internal Changes:

Brain becomes smaller and lighter

Pulls away from skull, increasing effects of
injury
Decrease in number of neurons
Reduction in blood flow
Circulation decreases
25% less blood flow compared to age 20
Caused by hardening and shrinking of blood
vessels

Alzheimers disease
Video

Grief: Kbler-Ross Stages of Acceptances

Kubler-Ross (1969) studied the feelings of relatives

after someone close had died as well as observing

those who had been told they are dying.
She found that we all go through the same set of

emotions over a period of many months.

1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

Evaluation of Kubler-Ross
Enormous impact
Applies only to those aware of pending death
Not very useful in cases with ambiguous

prognosis
May be too restrictive
Role of anxiety
Role of chronic severe pain