Knowra Moral development Moral development Moral development is change over time in how people reason about right and wrong, make moral judgments, experience moral emotions, and act toward others.
Lawrence Kohlberg’s stages of moral development : A theory describing moral reasoning as progression through six stages grouped into preconventional, conventional, and postconventional levels. Its stage sequence is the best-known account of change in moral reasoning.
Theory of mind : The ability to represent other people’s beliefs, desires, intentions, and knowledge. Understanding another person’s perspective supports judgments about intention and responsibility.
Jean Piaget : A Swiss developmental psychologist whose research examined how children’s thinking changes with age. His studies of children’s games laid groundwork for later theories of moral judgment.
Care ethics : An ethical approach that emphasizes relationships, care, and responsiveness to particular needs. It contrasts with theories that give priority to abstract rules and impartial justice.
Moral education : The teaching and cultivation of moral understanding, values, and conduct. Educational approaches apply developmental ideas to classroom discussion, rules, and relationships.
Social domain theory : A developmental theory distinguishing moral, social-conventional, and personal judgments. It explains how children distinguish harm and fairness from rules that depend on social agreement.
Executive functions : Cognitive processes that support planning, working memory, and control of attention and behavior. Inhibitory control helps translate moral judgments into actions under temptation or pressure.
Lawrence Kohlberg : An American psychologist known for a stage theory of moral reasoning. His interviews and dilemmas made moral reasoning a central subject in developmental psychology.
Moral relativism : The view that moral judgments or principles depend on cultural or individual frameworks rather than universal standards. It raises questions about whether developmental stages describe universal progress or local norms.
Character education : An educational approach that aims to cultivate virtues and habits such as honesty, responsibility, and respect. It targets moral habits and dispositions alongside explicit reasoning.
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