Compare and contrast the first two levels of Kohlberg's stages of moral reasoning. How does a preschool child's morality differ from that of a school-age child?

Question

In your response, offer one example of Level I moral reasoning in a child's behavior and one example of Level II.

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The first two levels of Kohlberg's stages of moral reasoning are the preconventional
level and the conventional level. Preschool children typically display preconventional
moral thinking. For them, right and wrong is based on the consequences of their
behavior. If they are likely to be punished for something then they are less likely to
do it. If they can get away with a desired behavior, they will likely engage in that
behavior regardless of whether it is morally correct or incorrect based on society's
values. For example, if the preschooler is at the grocery store with his mother and he
wants a package of candy, he might try to slip it into his pocket even though his
mother has told him that he cannot have it. This behavior is likely to happen only if
he's pretty sure that he will be able to do it without getting caught. A school-age child
is more likely to engage in Level II, conventional moral thinking. This type of thinking
is based on the internalization of society's and parents' values and rules. Children
will do what is right or wrong based on what they are told. An example would be that
even though they would like to take the neighbor's new bicycle for a ride, they have
been told that they cannot by their parents and are more likely to abide by the rule.