Reports two studies of a method for classifying justifications of moral judgments and suggests its use in demonstrating developmental trends during adolescence. Argues that this method distinguishes content of moral judgments from justifications for them, analyzes justifications relative to both abstraction and reflection, and assigns…

Based upon the theory of moral stages devised by educational psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg, this report examines the influence of the social situation on principled moral reasoning and on cheating. Research assessed the level of moral reasoning for 152 college juniors and seniors using Rest's Defining Issues Test (1976) in which levels of low,…

In a sample of 64 students (grades 8 and 11, undergraduate, and graduate), this study assesses evaluation and understanding of moral-stage-prototypic statements equated for level of language. Results support the hierarchical nature of moral stages despite the equating of language level. (Author/RH)

Recommends broadening the scope of evaluation in moral education. Argues that past research has relied too heavily on indirect evidence (for example, gains in moral reasoning) rather than changes in behavior. Recommends further emphasis on the relationships among self-control, social control, and moral education. (MJP)