Understanding Moral Judgments in Children
Children between the ages of 6 and 10 tend to judge acts as unilaterally right or wrong, which provides insight into the idea of moral absolutes. It is assumed that youngsters in this age bracket have a propensity to form snap judgments about people’s actions without giving due consideration to the nuances of the scenario. The idea that young infants naturally have this trait may be where this hypothesis first emerged. Preschoolers and kindergarteners are expected to have this propensity. When making decisions, they often look to others’ opinions or external standards rather than developing their own internal moral compass. They do this because they think it would save them time compared to if they did it themselves.
Children often reach the “preconventional” stage of moral reasoning anywhere between the ages of six and ten, according to a theory of moral development presented by Lawrence Kohlberg and now widely accepted (Papalia and Martorell 39). After being put out by Kohlberg, this theory has found significant support from major facilities around the world.
Levels of Moral Decision-Making
At the first stage, which psychologists call “obedience and punishment orientation,” children are very concerned with pleasing adults and protecting themselves from negative consequences. A second name for this developmental period is “obedience and authority orientation.” This dissonance arises from the fact that they are oblivious to the acceptability of their actions (Papalia and Martorell 110).
The second stage, also known as “instrumental purpose and exchange oriented,” refers to a child’s growing understanding of the connection between behavior and its consequences. They understand that being kind to other people may lead to positive outcomes while being mean to others can lead to negative consequences. However, they choose to behave in a way that benefits others.
Orientations of Moral Decision-Making
The importance of obeying authority figures and staying out of trouble is drilled into new hires during mandatory orientation sessions. The goal is to drive home the message that you should take every precaution to stay out of trouble. The importance of adhering to the rules that have been established is also emphasized throughout the presentation. This way of thinking places a premium on exchanging favors with others and on the principle of “tit for tat,” also written as “tie for a tat.”
Work Cited
Papalia, Diane E., and Gabriela Martorell. Experience Human Development. McGraw Hill, 2023.