Jason and Julia arrive home from school and are trying to decide whether or NOT they should have a cookie.Jason says,"Mom didn't give us permission and we might get caught." Julie responds "I think it will be OK as long as we don't make a mess,because we are still three hours from dinnertime." Jason is at the ___ stage of moral reasoning,and Julia is at the ___ stage.
A) preconventional; preconventional
B) conventional; conventional
C) conventional; preconventional
D) preconventional; conventional

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Jason is at the preconventional stage of moral reasoning because he is only considering the external consequences of his actions (getting caught), while Julia is at the conventional stage because she is taking into account the social norms and expectations (not making a mess, waiting for dinner). The fact that they are at different stages indicates that they have different levels of moral development. Therefore, the best choice is D, which acknowledges that Jason is at a lower stage than Julia.

Jason and Julia Arrive Home from School and Are Trying