Cognition:Moral Development and crime

KeyStudy2:Kohlberg-Moral development in children.

Is it true that people with higher level of moral development committ less crime?

Moral development is the process through which children learn a set of values from their parents which become inbuilt and they use to determine what is right and wrong.

In the UK the age of criminal responsibility is 10 children over 10 are deemed to clearly know the difference between right and wrong.

Kohlberg was heavily influenced by the work of piaget and believed that children developed through stages.His researched involved presenting groups of boys with moral dilemas and then asking questions about them.

Dilema:

Heinz's wife was dying of cancer and a new drug might save her.The doctors wanted much more for the drug than Heinz could afford.Heinz borrowed enough money for half the drug and asked if the doctor would sell him the drug cheaper.The doctor said no so Heinz broke into the doctors and stole the drug.

Kohlberg asked participants the following questions

• Should Heinz of…