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Lesson's Objective:: Development of Reasoning Abilities (Piaget, 1932)

The document discusses cognitive theory and Piaget's stages of cognitive development, followed by Kohlberg's six stages of moral development from a pre-conventional to post-conventional level. Research findings showed that violent youths have lower levels of moral development and are more likely to commit crimes to avoid punishment rather than recognizing the rights of others, while higher levels of moral reasoning are associated with greater non-violence.

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Phebjoszelle Cdl Jvr Libre
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96 views

Lesson's Objective:: Development of Reasoning Abilities (Piaget, 1932)

The document discusses cognitive theory and Piaget's stages of cognitive development, followed by Kohlberg's six stages of moral development from a pre-conventional to post-conventional level. Research findings showed that violent youths have lower levels of moral development and are more likely to commit crimes to avoid punishment rather than recognizing the rights of others, while higher levels of moral reasoning are associated with greater non-violence.

Uploaded by

Phebjoszelle Cdl Jvr Libre
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Module 12

Lesson’s Objective:
1. Discuss cognitive theory
2. Explain the stages in the development of reasoning ability
3. Discuss the six different stages of moral development

Cognitive theory
- This theory signifies that an individual perception and how it is manifested affect his or her
potential to commit crime.it focuses on how people perceive their social environment and
learn to solve their problems. The moral and intellectual development perspective is the
branch of cognitive theory that is most associated with the study of crime and violence.

Development of Reasoning Abilities (Piaget, 1932)


1. The sensorimotor stage (Ages: Birth to 2 years)
Major characteristics and developmental changes
- The infant knows the world through their movements and sensations.
- Children learn about the world through basic actions as sucking, grasping, looking, and
listening.
- Infants learn that things continue to exist even though they cannot be seen (object
permanence).
- They are separate beings from the people and objects around them.
- They realize that their actions can cause things to happen in the world around them.

2. The preoperational stage (Ages 2 to 7 years)


Major characteristics and developmental changes
- Children begin to think symbolically and learn to use words and pictures t represent objects.
- Children at this stage tends to be egocentric and struggle to see things from the perspective f
others.
- While they are getting better with language and thinking, they still tend to think about things
in very concrete terms.

3. The concrete operational stage (Ages 7 to 11 years)


Major characteristics and developmental changes
- During this stage, children begin to think logically about concrete events.
- They begin to understand the concept of conversation;
- Their thinking becomes more logical and organize, but still very concrete.
- Children begin using inductive logic, or reasoning from specific information to a general
principle.

4. The formal operational stage (Ages 12 and up)


Major characteristics and developmental changes
- At this stage, the adolescent or young adult begins to think abstractly and reason about
hypothetical problems.
- Abstract through emerges.
- Teens begins to think more about moral, philosophical, ethical, social and political issues
that require theoretical and abstract reasoning.
- Begin to use deductive logic, reasoning from a general principle to specific information
Six different Stages of Moral development (Kohlberg, 1969)

Level I: Pre-conventional Morality


Age range: preschool children, elementary students, some junior high school students and a
few high school students.
Stage 1: Punishment-avoidance and obedience
Nature of moral reasoning: people make decisions based on what is best for themselves,
without regard for others need and feelings. They obey rules only if established by more
powerful individuals; they may disobey if they aren’t likely to get caught. “Wrong” behaviors
are those that will be punished.
Stage 2: exchange of favors
Nature of Moral reasoning: people recognize that others also have needs. They may try to
satisfy others’ needs if their own needs are also met (“you scratch my back, I’ll scratch
yours”). They continue to define right and wrong primarily in terms of consequences to
themselves.

Level II: Conventional Morality


Age Range: seen in a few older elementary school students, some junior high school
students, and many high school students.
Stage 3: good boy/girl
Nature of Moral reasoning: people make decisions based on what actions will pleased others,
especially authority figures and other individuals with high status. They are concerned about
maintaining relationships through sharing, trust, and loyalty, and they take other people’s
perspectives and intentions into account when making decisions.

Stage 4: law and order


Nature of Moral reasoning: people look to society as a whole for guidelines about right and
wrong. They know the rules are necessary for keeping society running smoothly and they
believe it is their duty to obey them. However, they perceive rules to be inflexible; they don’t
necessarily recognize that as society’s need change, rules should change as well.

Level III: Post-conventional morality


Age range: rarely seen before college
Stage 5: Social Contract
Nature of Reasoning: people recognize that rules represent agreements among many
individuals about appropriate behavior. Rules are seen as potentially useful mechanisms
that can maintain the general social order and protect individual rights, rather than as
absolute dictates that must be obeyed simply because they are the law. People also
recognized the flexibility of rules; rules that no longer serve society’s best interest can and
should be changed.

Stage 6: Universal ethical principle


Nature of reasoning: Stage 6 is a hypothetical, ideal stage that few people ever reach. People
in this stage adhere to a few abstract, universal principles that transcend specific norms and
rules. They answer to a strong inner conscience and willingly disobey laws and violate their
own ethical principles.

Research findings of Kohlberg:


1. Violent youths were significantly lower in their moral development than non-violent youth –
even after controlling for social background.
2. People who obey the law simply to avoid punishment are more likely to commit acts of
violence than people who recognize and sympathize with the fundamental rights of others.
Higher levels of moral reasoning, generosity and non-violence. People with lower levels of
moral reasoning will engage in crime and violence when they think they can get away with it.
High levels of moral reasoning will refrain from criminal behaviour because they think it is
wrong.

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