Need Help Writing a Paper?

Have Paper Masters custom write your project today!

  • 24/7 Customer Support
  • Free Plagiarism Check
  • Writing at Your Level
  • Writers All Have Advanced Degrees
  • Will Follow Specific Instructions
Need Help Writing a Paper?
Yes! Write My Paper!

Lawrence Kohlberg

Lawrence Kohlberg

Traditionally, theories surrounding the moral development of a child rest largely on a child's ability to understand values and virtues. However, Lawrence Kohlberg suggests that one's moral reasoning follows a developmental sequence of sorts, with decreasing ego-focus as the hallmark of progress through the levels. Thus, according to Kohlberg, it is beneficial for teaching children on the basis of their development rather than the ability understand the complex nature of virtues.

Kohlberg and Moral Development

Lawrence Kohlberg sought to explain the growth of conscience in children. Taking largely from Piaget's theories of cognitive development, Kohlberg focused on qualitative changes in how children think. The strength in Kohlberg's theory rests in the following:

  1. Kohlberg's theory is based in Jean Piaget's cognitive development theory.
  2. The true value of Kohlberg's moral development theory is that it refined Piaget's theory.
  3. Kohlberg's moral development theory reconciled some of the differences between developmental theories that focused on morals rather than virtues and natural understanding of principles rather than cognitive development.

Kohlberg's Theory

Kohlberg, like Piaget, also validated his theory by not seeing little children as "mini adults" and recognizing that they go through stages of development morally. A child grows from stage to stage through schemas, whereby he or she adapts to experience, assimilates that experience, and accommodates the change in perception. Jean Piaget developed the theory of cognitive development in opposition to how human growth was viewed at the time. The general view of children was that they were little versions of adults. Piaget begged to differ, and devised his theory which contends that children's thought processes are qualitatively different than adults'.

  1. The first stage of cognitive development is sensorimotor (0-2 years). Intelligence is based in motor activity.
  2. The second is pre-operational (3-7 years). Intelligence in this stage is intuitive in nature.
  3. The third is concrete operations (8-11 years). This form of intelligence is logical, but dependent on concrete references.
  4. Finally, a child reaches formal operations (12-15 years). Intelligence has reached the level where a child can think abstractly.

This is a broad overview of the theory, but in fact, each stage has many detailed structural forms to account for individual differences in children.

Related Research Paper Topic Suggestions

Cognitive and Psychosocial Development Case Study - Cognitive and Psychosocial Development Case Study Research Papers looks at the life of an eight-year old Caucasian male and keep track of his development. What you see on this page is an example of a case and the accessment of what stage of development the child is at. This will give you an idea on how to look at a case study for a psychology case study.

Cognitive Behavioral Theory - Cognitive Behavioral Theory Research Papers look at a preview of a sample of a paper ordered for graduate level writing project on various cognitive behavioral theories.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy research papers explain cognitive behavioral therapy as one of the most widely used forms of mental health counseling in America today.

Cognitive Development - Cognitive Development research papers evaluate Piaget's child development theories and stages, specifically the preoperational stage. Research papers on cognitive development begin by studying Piaget's work on human development and its stages.

Cognitive Learning Theory - Cognitive Learning Theory research papers discuss the process the brain undergoes when it learns.

Cognitive Strategy Instruction - Cognitive Strategy Instruction Research Papers discuss how this approach to teaching works to enhance learners’ abilities to control and direct their own learning activities.

Cognitive Theory - Cognitive Theory Research Papers provide an understanding process of human education and how the ideas of Piaget factor into cognitive theory.

Concrete Operational Stage - Concrete Operational Stage research papers discuss one of Piaget's stages where children begin to use logic and reasoning in their thinking process.

Developmental Psychology - Developmental Psychology research papers discuss the the study of the various changes that occur over the human life span.

Formal Operational Stage - Formal Operational Stage research papers discuss one of the stages in Jean Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory.

Jean Piaget - Jean Piaget research papers chronicle the work of the psychologist and discuss his famous work The Psychology of the Child.

Jean Piaget Stages - Jean Piaget Stages Research Papers look at Piaget's theory of development and discuss the four stages.

Kohlbergs Stages of Moral Development - Kohlbergs Stages of Moral Development research papers discuss Lawrence Kohlberg's theory that explains the growth of moral development in children.

Moral Development - Research papers on moral development discuss the changes that take place with regards to a person’s understanding of morality as they develop from infancy to adulthood.

Moral Development Theory - Research papers on moral development theory discuss Lawrence Kohlberg’s best-known moral development theories.

Origins of Intelligence In Children - Origins of Intelligence in Children research papers evaluate the work by Jean Piaget on Cognitive Development. Research papers at Paper Masters.

Piaget Theories - Piaget Theories research papers discuss Piaget's extensive studies in cognitive development. Research papers from Paper Masters are written to your specifications.

Piaget Vs Vygotsky - Piaget and Vygotsky research papers compare the two psychologists theories on development that profoundly influenced teaching methods for children’s cognitive styles and learning.

Preoperational Stage of Cognitive Development - Preoperational Stage of Cognitive Development research papers study Jean Piaget's child psychology theories.

Social Cognitive Theory - Social Cognitive Theory Research Papers look at Albert Bandura's theory that focuses on the mental state, and behaviors of human learning.

Stages of Intellectual Development - Stages of Intellectual Development research papers discuss Jean Piaget's theories of cognitive development and examine his four stages of intelectual development.


Paper Masters

  • Custom Written Papers
  • 100% Plagiarism Free
  • 24/7 Customer Service
  • Guaranteed Confidentiality
  • Text us for a Quote Today!
    1-570-301-7456

This is a topic on
Lawrence Kohlberg Research Papers

Lawrence Kohlberg Research Papers discuss Kohlberg's theory on moral development.

Choosing a Topic:

Can't decide on a topic? Need ideas or inspiration for research in your field of study? Paper Masters provides topic suggestions to make your decision easier.

Paper Masters Site Search