Define Kohlberg's preconventional, conventional, and postconventional levels of moral thinking. Then give a real-life example of each kind of reasoning.

Question

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The Answer is Preconventional: Morality revolves around concrete punishments and rewards. Examples are, "I won't cheat on this test, because if I get caught, I'll be kicked out of school"; "I will cheat on this test, because then I'll get an A." Conventional: Morality centers on upholding the social rules or laws. An example is, "I won't cheat on this test because society says cheating is wrong." Postconventional: Morality is anchored in internal values apart from what the culture says. Examples are, "I personally believe that being honest is vital, so even if cheating on this test would get me into grad school, I couldn't live with myself if I committed this act"; "If I'm drafted, I won't go to war, because killing goes against my ethical beliefs"; "Even though my boss wants me to lie and cook the books in order to help the company, I can't . . . although it might cost me my job, I may even have to blow the whistle on these behaviors."

Define Kohlberg's Preconventional, Conventional, and Postconventional Levels of Moral Thinking