Match the following stages of Kohlberg's moral development theory with their…
2024
Match the following stages of Kohlberg's moral development theory with their characteristics:
List - I (Moral Stages) | List - II (Characteristics) |
|---|---|
(a) Conforming to obtain reward | (i) Getting the approval of others |
(b) Maintaining social order | (ii) Stage based on self-interest |
(c) Good interpersonal relationships | (iii) Eternal value accepted by conscience |
(d) Universal ethical principles | (iv) Importance of justice and law |
Choose the correct code
- A.
(a)-(ii), (b)-(iv), (c)-(i), (d)-(iii)
- B.
(a)-(iii), (b)-(i), (c)-(ii), (d)-(iv)
- C.
(a)-(iv), (b)-(iii), (c)-(i), (d)-(ii)
- D.
(a)-(i), (b)-(ii), (c)-(iv), (d)-(iii)
Attempted by 15 students.
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Correct answer: A
Lawrence Kohlberg's theory of moral development describes moral reasoning as unfolding through three levels, each made up of two stages. The Pre-conventional level judges right and wrong by reward and punishment (Stage 1: obedience and punishment; Stage 2: self-interest and reward-seeking). The Conventional level judges by social expectation (Stage 3: seeking others' approval; Stage 4: maintaining law and social order). The Post-conventional level judges by self-chosen ethical principle (Stage 5: social contract; Stage 6: universal, conscience-based principles). Each stage is defined by the basis a person uses for moral judgement, not by age.
Matching each stage description in List - I to its defining characteristic in List - II:
Stage description | Kohlberg's stage | Matching characteristic |
|---|---|---|
(a) Conforming to obtain reward | Pre-conventional level, Stage 2 — acts to gain a reward, guided by self-interest | (ii) Stage based on self-interest |
(b) Maintaining social order | Conventional level, Stage 4 — follows rules to preserve law and social order | (iv) Importance of justice and law |
(c) Good interpersonal relationships | Conventional level, Stage 3 — behaves so as to earn others' approval | (i) Getting the approval of others |
(d) Universal ethical principles | Post-conventional level, Stage 6 — guided by a self-chosen, conscience-based principle | (iii) Eternal value accepted by conscience |
This gives the code (a)-(ii), (b)-(iv), (c)-(i), (d)-(iii).
Each characteristic in List - II also fits only one level of Kohlberg's theory, so the match can be confirmed independently by elimination: an externally-incentivized description like reward-seeking can only belong to the pre-conventional level, a rule-and-order description can only belong to the conventional level's law-and-order stage, an approval-seeking description can only belong to the conventional level's interpersonal stage, and a self-chosen, conscience-based description can only belong to the post-conventional level. Both routes converge on the same code.