Question

Analiese knows that her friend is paying an online service to write a term paper. This bothers her, but she knows that if she tells the teacher everyone will think she is a snitch. She decides her friends’ approval is more important, so she says nothing about the cheating. What stage of moral reasoning does this exemplify?

Answer 1

Answer:

Third stage (good boy and good girl)

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

• Pre conventional

• Conventional

• Post conventional

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 how good will it be for him/her to act in some way (2nd stage)

The conventional level stages also has to do 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 this example, Analiese knows that her friend is paying an online service to write a term paper, this bothers her but she knows that is she tells the teacher, people will see her as a snitch. Thus, she decides that her friend's approval is more important so she says nothing.

We can see that Analiese decision is based on external factors, specifically on the approval of her friend.

Thus, we can conclude that she is in the third stage  (Good boy and Good girl attitude) which belongs to the conventional level.