Analysis and Evaluation of Four Moral Development Theories

Jean Piaget’s Theory of Moral Development

Piaget had two main categories of which he classified the development of moral development called heteronomous and autonomous moral thinking. In Piaget’s theory, he believed that until age nine- or ten-years children’s morality is external, their feeling of right and wrong is controlled by guardians, instructors or other specialist figures. This is called heteronomous. Essentially, kids acknowledge that specialist figures have controls, and can make decides that keep going forever, don't change, and should be pursued and have to be followed. most kids pursue the tenets as an approach to abstain from being punished. Children over age nine and ten are no longer need others to tell them what is morally correct they have an internal sense of right and wrong. This called autonomous moral thinking, in this stage children look at the intent of the action when casting judgment on right or wrong rather than solely the outcome.

Children start to see moral standards as socially-settled upon rules intended to benefit the group. Kids utilizing this casing of reference still feel that it is critical to pursue rules, yet these principles are seen as mind-boggling, to some degree debatable rules that are intended to enhance everybody's lives. Kids understand that settling on decisions about after the standards ought to be founded on something more than dread of contrary individual outcomes or want for individual gain. Choices influence everybody and can profit as well as hurt everybody.

Lawrence Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development

Kohlberg theory has three levels made of six stages of moral development, and each level has two stages. The three levels are preconventional, conventional, and post conventional. Each of these levels represent change in the moral perspective of an individual.

The First level is preconventional, Kohlberg believed that children fell into the preconventional level until about age nine. Stage one which deals with obedience and punishment. Stage two is about self-interest. The second level is the conventional of reasoning occurred in early adolescence, which is categorized by valuing the views of others and understanding that rules are important to society. Stage three deals with individuals basing moral decisions on the feeling of others. They begin to value trust and loyalty. Their behaviors are motivated by the search for approval and avoidance of blame. Stage four deals with society as a whole. individuals base their judgment and decisions on the importance of doing their duty and maintaining the fabric of society adhering the social laws. The third level is called postconventional based on social contracts and individual right as well as universal ethical principles. The stage six deals with understanding that moral laws can be devised from principles of ethical fairness. In this stage, laws are seen as necessary to maintain social order and basic rights.

Kohlberg suggests that students can develop their understanding of what is fair and moral, if they are given opportunities to interact with others and workout their difference in open and democratic ways.

Elliot Turiel’s Moral Domain Theory

Elliot Turiel is an American psychologist who conducts research on development of moral reasoning and children's understanding of authority, rules, cultures and society. His research led to the development of moral domain theory. Within this theory's framework there are three separate components: a child's moral development, their adherence to social conventions and their views of themselves and others. The children's ideas of ethical quality and social tradition rise out of the kid's endeavors to represent subjectively extraordinary types of social experience related with these two classes of social events. Actions within the moral domain, for example, unjustifiable hitting of somebody have intrinsic effects (i. e., the harm that is caused) on the welfare of another person. Such intrinsic effects occur regardless of the nature of social rules that may or may not be in place regarding the action. Because of this, the core features of moral cognition are centered around considerations of the effects which actions have upon the well-being of persons. Morality is structured by concepts of harm, welfare, and fairness. The moral domain theory relates the moral social and psychological aspects together, occurring at once, in order to form the child’s moral domain. It allows them to relate situations. This consists of a “child’s moral development, their adherence to social conventions and their views of themselves and others.”.

Albert Bandura’s Theory of Moral Development through Social Learning

Albert Bandura recommends that children learn through social contacts and in this way we as grown-ups are modeling behavior for children. They take that conduct that they see and they disguise that conduct, they explore different avenues regarding it and it is through this experimentation of the conduct that is displayed for them that they develop their own sense of moral self. Kids learn profound quality through scholarly practices. Children observe the people around them behaving in different ways, Individuals that are watched are called models. Children are encompassed by numerous persuasive models, for example, guardians inside the family, characters on kids' TV, companions inside their associate gathering and educators at the school. These models give examples of behavior to observe and imitate.