Question 1

In contrast to Piaget's and Kohlberg's findings in Western societies and colleagues found that Indians from India

Accepted Answer

Research conducted on Indians from India found that they saw more rules as universal and unchangeable with age, and made few distinctions between moral and social-conventional rules, which is different from Piaget's and Kohlberg's findings in Western societies.

Question 2

A social experience that seems to foster the growth of moral reasoning is

Accepted Answer

Intensive discussions of moral issues with peers can expose individuals to different perspectives and challenge their own views, leading to growth in moral reasoning. A college education can also provide exposure to different points of view and promote critical thinking skills necessary for moral reasoning. Living in a diverse, democratic society can expose individuals to different cultures and values, leading to a broader understanding and acceptance of moral diversity. Therefore, all of these options can contribute to the growth of moral reasoning.

Question 3

According to Kohlberg, _____ is necessary for children to move beyond
preconventional morality.

Accepted Answer

Kohlberg's theory of moral development suggests that cognitive development and exposure to more advanced moral reasoning are necessary for children to progress beyond the preconventional level of morality. Cognitive development allows children to understand more complex moral concepts, while exposure to advanced moral reasoning provides them with examples of higher-level thinking about right and wrong.

Question 4

Progression from Kohlberg's preconventional level of moral reasoning (stages 1 and 2) to Kohlberg's conventional morality (stages 3 and 4) requires

Accepted Answer

Kohlberg's preconventional level of moral reasoning is based on obedience and punishment (Stage 1) and self-interest (Stage 2). To progress to the conventional morality stage, individuals need to develop skills in reciprocal role-taking and understand social norms and expectations. Exposure to conventional moral reasoning in one's environment, such as observing others following rules and behaving morally, can also contribute to this progression. However, formal operations (abstract reasoning) are not necessary for this progression. Therefore, the best choice is D, which states that both reciprocal role-taking skills and exposure to conventional moral reasoning are necessary.

Question 5

According to research on Kohlberg's stages and associated levels of cognitive development, which of the following is impossible?

Accepted Answer

Kohlberg's conventional level requires good role-taking skills, as it involves understanding and adhering to social rules and expectations. An individual with poor role-taking skills would struggle to reason at this level.

Question 6

Research investigating the impact of education on moral reasoning suggests that

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that individuals who receive a college education tend to reason at higher moral levels compared to their nonstudent peers, suggesting that education plays a significant role in the development of moral reasoning.

Question 7

Studies of the relationship between cognitive development and moral reasoning indicate that

Accepted Answer

While formal operations are necessary for postconventional morality, they are not sufficient. Individuals at this level also have to be able to understand and apply abstract moral principles. Adherence to concrete moral norms is characteristic of conventional morality, but it is not a clear indicator of cognitive level. Reciprocal role-taking skills are important for moral development, but they are not sufficient for conventional morality. Therefore, option C is the best choice as it correctly states that formal operations are necessary, but not sufficient for postconventional morality.

Question 8

Gilligan's research on moral development in females has broadened the definition of morality to include concern with

Accepted Answer

Gilligan's research emphasized that traditional models of moral development, particularly those of Lawrence Kohlberg, focused heavily on laws, rights, and justice, and tended to overlook moral reasoning based on caring, human welfare, and interpersonal relationships. Gilligan argued that these latter aspects are especially prominent in the moral development of females, thus broadening the definition of morality to include these dimensions.

Question 9

People in rural villages in underdeveloped societies often fail to show any postconventional moral reasoning. Research suggests that this is because

Accepted Answer

People's moral reasoning is heavily influenced by their environment and experiences. Those living in underdeveloped societies may lack exposure to postconventional moral reasoning that could challenge their existing concepts. While cognitive development may play a role, it is not the sole explanation for why individuals in these societies may not exhibit postconventional reasoning. Additionally, research shows that postconventional reasoning is actually less common in tribal societies compared to Western democracies.

Question 10

Attending college may promote the growth of moral reasoning by

Accepted Answer

Attending college can promote cognitive growth, and by introducing students to diverse moral perspectives that challenge their own, it can also promote moral reasoning growth. Therefore, both options A and B are correct, making choice C the only correct answer.

Question 11

The relationship between moral reasoning and actual moral conduct has been found to be

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that there is a significant but far from perfect relationship between moral reasoning and actual moral conduct. However, this relationship tends to be stronger for adolescents and adults than for young children. This may be due to the fact that younger children are still developing their moral reasoning abilities and may not always have the cognitive tools necessary to translate moral reasoning into behavior.

Question 12

One common criticism of Kohlberg's theory of moral development is that

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that moral reasoning, as measured by Kohlberg's theory, does not always predict moral behavior. People may have a high level of moral reasoning but still fail to follow through with moral actions in real-life situations. This implies that moral reasoning may not be the only factor influencing moral behavior, and there may be other variables at play, such as social pressures, emotions, or situational factors.

Question 13

Parents are most effective at inducing children to change their moral reasoning when they _____; peers are most effective at inducing changes in moral reasoning by _____.

Accepted Answer

Parents are more effective at inducing change in moral reasoning through reasoning and explanations delivered in a warm, supportive way as they have a closer emotional connection to the child than their peers. Peers, on the other hand, are more effective at inducing changes in moral reasoning by introducing new reasoning in a warm, supportive way as their social influence is greater with peers. Directly challenging someone's viewpoint often leads to defensiveness, which is counterproductive to inducing change.

Question 14

Research on parental and peer influences on moral reasoning indicates that advances in moral reasoning

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that moral reasoning can rapidly advance in transactive discussions with peers, where individuals are challenged to justify and evaluate their moral beliefs in a back-and-forth dialogue. While parental influence can also be important, advances in moral reasoning may not occur as consistently in discussions with parents as they can with peers. Additionally, there is no evidence to suggest that discussing issues with individuals who reason at a lower level would reverse an individual's advances in moral reasoning.

Question 15

Gilligan's theory of moral development argues that there are sex differences in moral reasoning. Gilligan's proposition that females are higher than males in the _____ has now been tested. The results indicate that _____ .

Accepted Answer

Research has shown mixed results regarding Gilligan's theory of moral development and the sex differences in moral reasoning. However, a meta-analysis of studies on gender differences in moral reasoning found that while there were some differences between males and females, overall there were no consistent sex differences in moral reasoning. Therefore, neither option C nor D is supported. However, some studies have found that females tend to emphasize more the morality of care, while males tend to emphasize more the morality of justice. Therefore, option B is the most accurate choice as it acknowledges some differences between males and females in moral reasoning while also recognizing that females are not necessarily higher in the morality of care than males.

Question 16

Critics contend that Kohlberg's theory is culturally biased, seriously underestimating the moral sophistication of people from _____ societies and cultures.

Accepted Answer

Kohlberg's theory has been criticized for being culturally biased towards Western, individualistic societies, and underestimating the moral sophistication of people from collectivist societies, where community and group cohesion are more valued than individual achievement.

Question 17

The relationship between moral reasoning and moral behavior has been found to be stronger for

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that the relationship between moral reasoning and moral behavior is stronger for adolescents and adults than for young children. As children develop cognitive and socio-emotional skills through their adolescent years, they become more capable of understanding moral principles and making moral judgments. However, this relationship does not vary significantly between males and females.

Question 18

Gilligan's theory of sex differences in moral reasoning holds that

Accepted Answer

Gilligan argued that traditional measures of moral development (like Kohlberg's) did not capture the nature of women's moral reasoning, suggesting that the apparent gender differences were due to the way moral reasoning was assessed rather than actual differences in moral reasoning ability.

Question 19

Cross-cultural research reveals that _____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Cross-cultural research reveals that _____.
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Question 20

Nicole believes that sex with her boyfriend is wrong because she might have to drop out of school and lose her scholarship if she got pregnant. Her friend Stefanie agrees on the decision to forgo sex, but tells Nicole that "You are missing the point; sex between unmarrieds is not something a nice girls would do. It is more important to view the act through the eyes of others than to simply worry about your own interests." According to research on peer influences on moral development, we might expect

Accepted Answer

Research on peer influences on moral development suggests that individuals are influenced by the moral reasoning of their peers, leading Nicole to potentially adopt Stefanie's point of view.

Quiz 10: Altruism and Moral Development