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Kohlberg’s theory of moral development is a theory that focuses on how children develop morality and moral reasoning. Kohlberg’s theory suggests that moral development occurs in a series of six stages and that moral logic is primarily focused on seeking and maintaining justice.

Here we discuss how Kohlberg developed his theory of moral development and the six stages he identified as part of this process. We also share some critiques of Kohlberg’s theory, many of which suggest that it may be biased based on the limited demographics of the subjects studied.

Test Your KnowledgeAt the end of this article, take a fast and free pop quiz to see how much you’ve learned about Kohlberg’s theory.

Test Your Knowledge

At the end of this article, take a fast and free pop quiz to see how much you’ve learned about Kohlberg’s theory.

What Is Moral Development?

How do people develop morality? This question has fascinated parents, religious leaders, and philosophers for ages, but moral development has also become a hot-button issue in psychology and education.Do parental or societal influences play a greater role in moral development? Do all kids develop morality in similar ways?

American psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg developed one of the best-known theories exploring some of these basic questions.His work modified and expanded uponJean Piaget’sprevious work but was more centered on explaining how children develop moral reasoning.

Kohlberg extended Piaget’s theory, proposing that moral development is a continual process that occurs throughout the lifespan. Kohlberg’s theory outlines six stages of moral development within three different levels.

In recent years, Kohlberg’s theory has been criticized as being Western-centric with a bias toward men (he primarily used male research subjects) and for having a narrow worldview based on upper-middle-class value systems and perspectives.

What Is Objective Morality?

How Kohlberg Developed His Theory

Kohlberg based his theory on a series of moral dilemmas presented to his study subjects. Participants were also interviewed to determine the reasoning behind their judgments in each scenario.

He tried to negotiate with the pharmacist for a lower price or to be extended credit to pay for it over time. But the pharmacist refused to sell it for any less or to accept partial payments. Rebuffed, Heinz instead broke into the pharmacy and stole the drug to save his wife. Kohlberg asked, “Should the husband have done that?”

Kohlberg was not interested so much in the answer to whether Heinz was wrong or right but in thereasoningfor each participant’s decision. He then classified their reasoning into the stages of his theory of moral development.

Stages of Moral Development

Kohlberg’s theory is broken down into three primary levels. At each level of moral development, there are two stages. Similar to how Piaget believed that not all people reach the highest levels of cognitive development, Kohlberg believed not everyone progresses to the highest stages of moral development.

Level 1. Preconventional Morality

Level 2. Conventional Morality

This period also focuses on the acceptance of authority and conforming to the norms of the group. There are two stages at this level of morality:

Level 3. Postconventional Morality

At this level of moral development, people develop an understanding of abstract principles of morality. The two stages at this level are:

Kohlberg believed that only a relatively small percentage of people ever reach the post-conventional stages (around 10 to 15%).One analysis found that while stages one to four could be seen as universal in populations throughout the world, the fifth and sixth stages were extremely rare in all populations.

Applications for Kohlberg’s Theory

Understanding Kohlberg’s theory of moral development is important in that it can help parents guide their children as they develop their moral character. Parents withyounger childrenmight work on rule obeyance, for instance, whereas they might teach older children about social expectations.

Criticisms for Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development

Kohlberg’s theory played an important role in the development of moral psychology. While the theory has been highly influential, aspects of the theory have been critiqued for a number of reasons:

Gilligan instead suggested that Kohlberg’s theory overemphasizes concepts such as justice and does not adequately address moral reasoning founded on the principles and ethics of caring and concern for others.

Other Theories of Moral Development

Kohlberg isn’t the only psychologist to theorize how we develop morally. There are several other theories of moral development.

Piaget’s Theory of Moral Development

Kohlberg’s theory is an expansion ofPiaget’s theoryof moral development. Piaget described a three-stage process of moral development:

Moral Foundations Theory

While Kohlberg’s theory is primarily focused on help vs. harm, moral foundations theory encompasses several more dimensions of morality. However, this theory also fails to explain the “rules” people use when determining what is best for society.

Normative Theories of Moral Behavior

Several other theories exist that attempt to explain the development ofmorality, specifically in relation to social justice.Some fall into the category of transcendental institutionalist, which involves trying to create “perfect justice.” Others are realization-focused, concentrating more on removing injustices.

One theory falling into the second category is social choice theory. Social choice theory is a collection of models that seek to explain how individuals can use their input (their preferences) to impact society as a whole. An example of this is voting, which allows the majority to decide what is “right” and “wrong.”

See how much you’ve learned (or maybe already knew!) about Kohlberg’s theory of moral development with this quick, free pop quiz.

Takeaways

While Kohlberg’s theory of moral development has been criticized, the theory played an important role in the emergence of the field of moral psychology. Researchers continue to explore how moral reasoning develops and changes through life as well as the universality of these stages. Understanding these stages offers helpful insights into the ways that both children and adults make moral choices and how moral thinking may influence decisions and behaviors.

11 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Lapsley D.Moral agency, identity and narrative in moral development.Hum Dev. 2010;53(2):87-97. doi:10.1159/000288210Elorrieta-Grimalt M.A critical analysis of moral education according to Lawrence Kohlberg.Educación y Educadores. 2012;15(3):497-512. doi:10.5294/edu.2012.15.3.9Govrin A.From ethics of care to psychology of care: Reconnecting ethics of care to contemporary moral psychology.Front Psychol. 2014;5:1135. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01135American Psychological Association.Heinz dilemma.American Psychological Association.Kohlberg’s theory of moral development.Kohlberg L,Essays On Moral Development. Harper & Row; 1985.Ma HK.The moral development of the child: An integrated model.Front Public Health. 2013;1:57. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2013.00057Gibbs J.Moral Development And Reality. 4th ed. Oxford University Press; 2019.Gilligan C.In A Different Voice. Harvard University Press; 2016.Patanella D.Piaget’s theory of moral development.Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. 2011. doi:10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_2167Dubas KM, Dubas SM, Mehta R.Theories of justice and moral behavior.J Legal Ethical Regulatory Issues. 2014;17(2):17-35.

11 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Lapsley D.Moral agency, identity and narrative in moral development.Hum Dev. 2010;53(2):87-97. doi:10.1159/000288210Elorrieta-Grimalt M.A critical analysis of moral education according to Lawrence Kohlberg.Educación y Educadores. 2012;15(3):497-512. doi:10.5294/edu.2012.15.3.9Govrin A.From ethics of care to psychology of care: Reconnecting ethics of care to contemporary moral psychology.Front Psychol. 2014;5:1135. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01135American Psychological Association.Heinz dilemma.American Psychological Association.Kohlberg’s theory of moral development.Kohlberg L,Essays On Moral Development. Harper & Row; 1985.Ma HK.The moral development of the child: An integrated model.Front Public Health. 2013;1:57. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2013.00057Gibbs J.Moral Development And Reality. 4th ed. Oxford University Press; 2019.Gilligan C.In A Different Voice. Harvard University Press; 2016.Patanella D.Piaget’s theory of moral development.Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. 2011. doi:10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_2167Dubas KM, Dubas SM, Mehta R.Theories of justice and moral behavior.J Legal Ethical Regulatory Issues. 2014;17(2):17-35.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Lapsley D.Moral agency, identity and narrative in moral development.Hum Dev. 2010;53(2):87-97. doi:10.1159/000288210Elorrieta-Grimalt M.A critical analysis of moral education according to Lawrence Kohlberg.Educación y Educadores. 2012;15(3):497-512. doi:10.5294/edu.2012.15.3.9Govrin A.From ethics of care to psychology of care: Reconnecting ethics of care to contemporary moral psychology.Front Psychol. 2014;5:1135. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01135American Psychological Association.Heinz dilemma.American Psychological Association.Kohlberg’s theory of moral development.Kohlberg L,Essays On Moral Development. Harper & Row; 1985.Ma HK.The moral development of the child: An integrated model.Front Public Health. 2013;1:57. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2013.00057Gibbs J.Moral Development And Reality. 4th ed. Oxford University Press; 2019.Gilligan C.In A Different Voice. Harvard University Press; 2016.Patanella D.Piaget’s theory of moral development.Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. 2011. doi:10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_2167Dubas KM, Dubas SM, Mehta R.Theories of justice and moral behavior.J Legal Ethical Regulatory Issues. 2014;17(2):17-35.

Lapsley D.Moral agency, identity and narrative in moral development.Hum Dev. 2010;53(2):87-97. doi:10.1159/000288210

Elorrieta-Grimalt M.A critical analysis of moral education according to Lawrence Kohlberg.Educación y Educadores. 2012;15(3):497-512. doi:10.5294/edu.2012.15.3.9

Govrin A.From ethics of care to psychology of care: Reconnecting ethics of care to contemporary moral psychology.Front Psychol. 2014;5:1135. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01135

American Psychological Association.Heinz dilemma.

American Psychological Association.Kohlberg’s theory of moral development.

Kohlberg L,Essays On Moral Development. Harper & Row; 1985.

Ma HK.The moral development of the child: An integrated model.Front Public Health. 2013;1:57. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2013.00057

Gibbs J.Moral Development And Reality. 4th ed. Oxford University Press; 2019.

Gilligan C.In A Different Voice. Harvard University Press; 2016.

Patanella D.Piaget’s theory of moral development.Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. 2011. doi:10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_2167

Dubas KM, Dubas SM, Mehta R.Theories of justice and moral behavior.J Legal Ethical Regulatory Issues. 2014;17(2):17-35.

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