Question

Brad is in an electronics store with his parents. He looks at the CDs and thinks for a moment that he could grab one and put it beneath his coat. As he considers this possibility, he decides not to do it because he might get caught, and his parents would punish him. What stage of Kohlberg's moral development does Brad's decision represent? conventional postconventional preoperational preconventional integrity vs dishonesty

Answer 1

Answer:

Preconventional level (avoiding punishment stage)

Explanation:

Kohlberg did some studies on morality and proposed a theory on moral development.

Kohlberg defined three different levels of morality (and each level consists in 2 stages). These levels are:

• preconventional,

• conventional and

• postconventional

In the preconventional level, the person's morality is externally controlled and therefore acts based on what the punishment will be (1st stage) or based on what good will be for him/her by acting in some way (2nd stage)

The conventional level stages also have to to with external controls but now the person thinks in function of ensure positive relationships and societal order. The third stage here depends on the approval of others. The fourth stage has to do with accepting rules because they preserve the society order  and functioning.

The postconventional level stages are defined in more abstract principles or values. The 5th stage sees the world as a place with different values that must be respected. Finally the 6th stage is based in universal ethical abstract principles.

In the question, Brad decides not to grab and steal a CD because if he got caught, his parents would punish him, he is acting based on external control, therefore his decision represents the preconventional level. (particularly the 1st stage of avoiding punishment).