This description of a novel approach for studying the validity of Kohlberg's sequential and hierarchical theory of moral development involved 138 boys and 113 girls (14 to 18 years old) choosing a solution among 12 to Kohlberg's Heinz dilemma instead of being assigned one by an interviewer. The results were not supportive of the theory. The methodology of research on moral development needs to be examined.
References
1.
ColbyA.KohlbergL. (1987) The measurement of moral judgment. Vol. 2. Cambridge. UK: Cambridge Univer. Press.
2.
CorteseA. J. (1984) Standard issue scoring of moral reasoning: a critique. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 30, 227–246.
3.
EvansC. S. (1982) Reliability of moral judgment interview: written version. Journal of Moral Education, 11, 200–202.
4.
KohlbergL. (1969) Stage and sequence: the cognitive-developmental approach to socialization. In GoslinD. (Ed.), Handbook of socialization theory and research. Chicago, IL: Rand McNally. P. 379.
5.
KohlbergL. (1981) Essays on moral development: the philosophy of moral development. Vol. 1. San Francisco, CA: Harper & Row.
6.
RestJ. R. (1968) Sequence in preference and comprehension of moral judgment. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Univer. of Chicago.
7.
RestJ. R. (1976) New approaches in the assessment of judgment. In LickonaT. (Ed.), Moral development and behavior. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston. Pp. 198–220.
8.
RestJ. R. (1983) Morality. In MussenP. H. (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology. Vol. 3. (4th ed.) New York: Wiley. Pp. 556–629.
9.
RestJ. R. (1986) Moral development: advances in theory and research. New York: Praeger.
10.
RestJ. R. (1988) With the benefits of hindsight. Paper presented at the 13th Annual Conference of the Association for Moral Education, Pittsburgh, PA.
11.
WalkerL. J. (1982) The sequentiality of Kohlberg's stages of moral development. Child Development, 53, 1330–1336.
12.
WalkerL. J.de VriesB.BichardS. L. (1984) The hierarchical nature of stages of moral development. Developmental Psychology, 20, 960–966.
