Kohlberg Stages of Moral Development

Directions: For each example write how a person would make a decision and look at the situation based on each of the six stages. You can group stages 5-6 together so you should have 5 answers for each question.

Rick has had a pretty successful season playing football. He is a junior and is trying to get a scholarship to play in college since schools are very expensive, and his family won’t be able to afford most places. A number of scouts have recently attended the past few games, but Rick went into a slump and didn’t perform so well. The next game will be their first playoff game and Rick hears that many more scouts will be there. He feels a great amount of pressure to do well and have a breakout game. A number of Rick’s friends on the team have recently been using performance enhancing substances to help them play better. Rick has always been clean but he knows that these substances might be able to help him play well, impress the scouts, and that he would be able to get away with it and not get caught. How can Rick demonstrate the six different stages?

During an important exam, Rob notices that one of his classmates in the next row has a piece of paper that they continually take out to cheat when the teacher isn’t paying attention. At the end of the test, the teacher finds the paper on the floor. The teacher decides to call down students one by one to the office in order to speak with them about cheating but to keep each person’s testimony private. Finally, Rob gets called down to speak with his teacher. Rob also knows that his school has an honor code policy that all students have agreed to follow at the beginning of the year. How can Rob demonstrate each of the six stages?

Jessica and Michelle one night tell their parents that they are going out to the movies but really sneak out to a friend’s party. Their parents have been very clear with them about not drinking and in the past when they have disobeyed, the girls have had some tough punishments. However, they decide that they want to go to the party since most of their friends will be there and that they can lie to their parents to get away with it. On the way back from the party they decide to walk through the park. They hear a person calling for help and as they approach more closely, they see a person being mugged. Neither person sees Jessica and Michelle, who observe that nobody is responding to the person’s call for help. The girls realize that they have been out drinking and if they call for help, the police or their parents might find out about their drinking. How can Jessica and Michelle demonstrate each of the different stages?

Amy just got a job being a clerk at the grocery store. She has been working there for a few weeks. The manager who is also her boss has a very strict rule about inventory and keeping track of items sold, and employees are supposed to report any discrepancies or what they observe from their coworkers. All employees are not to give out any items and must give people exact change. Amy noticed that there has been a homeless person around the neighborhood who sometimes asks for money outside the store. Several times while passing by, she spoke with the man who was very friendly and discovered that he was a veteran but was injured, so he has been unable to get a job. One day he comes into the store and buys a number of items. While checking out at the register next to hers, Amy notices that the man doesn’t have enough money for his purchase and is off by quite a bit. Amy sees her coworker just let the man off with the items. How can Amy demonstrate each of the six stages?

Ben has been a marine officer serving in Afghanistan for several years. He and his troops just captured one of the head terrorist leaders who has been responsible for many of the destruction caused by the group. Ben and his soldiers think that the terrorist leader can give them information about where the rest of the organization is hiding or what they are planning, but the leader is refusing to talk. Some of Ben’s soldiers approach him and ask him about either torturing the leader for information or killing him so that he can’t potentially escape or be
rescued and be more of a threat. How can Ben demonstrate the six different stages?