Four-year-old Sam is asked if it's acceptable to take another child's toy. Sam replies, "No, because Mom will get mad." By focus
ing only on the threat of punishment and not on the other child's rights or general rules about playing with others, Sam shows that he is in Kohlberg's _____ stage of moral development.
Sam is currently on the obedience and punishment stage of moral development, which is the first stage in the first level (Preconventional).
Explanation:
The preconventional level centers on the idea that a <em>child's morality is </em><em>externally driven</em>, which means that his/her moral behavior is<em> influenced by an external stimulus</em> and not from his/her own thinking.
The first stage in this level is known as obedience and punishment and it occurs when the child <em>obeys rules</em><em> in order to </em><em>avoid punishment,</em> not because he/she believes in these rules.
In this case, Sam is not lending the toy because he thinks his mother will get mad and he will be punished, thus he opts to obey the idea he has of his mother in order to avoid a punishment he believes he will get.
This is said to be the response to emotional experience or efficient reactions towards emotions. It is also called intrinsic regulation.
Simply pout that it is the difference between a two-year-old and a five-year-old who is more able to control their emotions. And also many older children, even if they’re beyond tantrums, continue to struggle with impulsive and inappropriate behavior.
