This study examined children's emotion attributions and moral judgements to hypothetical procedural justice outcomes when the candidates were equal in merit but different in need. Children (7 to 11 years old, N = 88) were presented with four vignettes depicting resource-rich and resource-poor candidates losing educational materials and…

Social inequalities limit important opportunities and resources for members of marginalized and disadvantaged groups. Understanding the origins of how children construct their understanding of social inequalities in the context of their everyday peer interactions has the potential to yield novel insights into when--and how--individuals respond to…

To evaluate whether distributions by sex are judged to be unfair, children at ages 6, 8, and 10, and adults (N = 96), judged an authority distributing items to children by using different methods (i.e., randomly or by sex), types of items (i.e., related or unrelated to gender norms), and differences in the equivalency of the items (i.e.,…

This article examines children's moral judgments and emotional evaluations in the context of social exclusion. As they age, children and adolescents face increasingly complex situations in which group membership and allegiance are in opposition with morally relevant decisions, such as the exclusion of an individual from a group. While adolescents…

The modern ideal of international cooperation, which it is desired to incorporate in the future education of the young, is based on the two main principles of solidarity and justice. In this essay, the author discusses two aspects on the problem of solidarity: (1) moral aspect; and (2) intellectual aspect. In connection with the moral aspect, the…

The Damon hierarchy of development of children's sense of positive justice is examined for its usefulness in predicting fairness in behavior and reliability in age patterning of its stated levels of reasoning. The hierarchy's value as a developmental schedule for teacher guidance may be questionable. (Author)

Views school-age children living in five distinct worlds, each with their own operational modes. Discusses the negative repercussions of failing to recognize the child's worlds. Reviews Lawrence Kohlberg's, Eliot Turiel's, and Carol Gilligan's positions concerning moral education. Recommends a broad definition of morality, including justice and…

Author talked about what studies of the psychological development of the child suggest about his natural conception of justice. (Author/RK)

This article examines positions by diverse philosophers (the ancient Stoics and the contemporary moral and political philosopher John Rawls) and shows the relevance of their disagreement concerning moral development. The position produced from this disagreement is then applied to two features of giftedness, sensitivity to justice and desire for…

This presentation: (1) outlines three educational approaches to moral development; (2) explains Piaget's stages of moral judgment; (3) reviews Piaget's ideas about the development of children's concepts of justice; and (4) discusses comments by contemporary educators concerning moral education and its implications. Outlined in Part I are character…

This study examined the relationship between moral reasoning and altruistic behavior in 120 boys, 4- to 11-years old. Subjects were administered Damon's Positive- Justice Interview, and were presented helping and sharing tasks under five behavioral conditions corresponding to Damon's justice levels. Findings supported cognitive- developmental…

Defines ways normative concerns enter into the design and interpretation of empirical research on children's development of justice conceptions. Emphasizes William Damon's stage theory of development. Suggests an alternative research program based on adjustments between the normative and the empirical. Argues this program must focus on children's…

Moral competence is more difficult to attain than scientific competence. Since language comprehension plays a central role in conceptual development, and moral language is difficult to learn, there is a common deficiency in moral conceptual development. This suggests a theory of non-spontaneous solutions to moral problems. (Author/MS)

Discusses the relationship between Lawrence Kohlberg's cognitive-stage theory as a further development of Piaget's moral theory. Argues Kohlberg describes moral thought and not the formation of the independent moral function. Finds Kohlberg's major interest is in the characteristics of stages of individual moral reasoning and the principle of…

Discusses Gilligan's explanation of the distinction between justice and care. Describes how she contrasts the two notions and explores the possibility of encompassing care within Piagetian developmental theory. Reviews Gilligan's position on justice and care as different forms of moral judgment. Examines different interpretations of universality…