Defining "sophomoritis" as a problematic phase in the transition from conventional to principled moral judgment, the author describes an experimental course, Psychology 448, designed around this problem. The course sought to integrate introductory ethics materials with Kolhberg's moral development theory. Effects of the course on…

Examining research inspired by Kohlberg's moral development theory, the authors highlight some conceptual and methodological weaknesses and present the practical and theoretical limitations of implementing Kohlberg's ideas in the classroom. (SK)

Based on the author's educational experiences as a student and teacher at Jesuit high schools and developed within the framework of the cognitive development theories of Lawrence Kohlberg, describes six stages of moral development. Concludes with a description of teachers at six stages of professional development. (AYC)

Examined effects of a course for families in democratic conflict resolution and moral reasoning of adolescent participants. Parents significantly increased equalitarian attitudes toward family decision making. Families significantly improved effectiveness in collective decision making, with parent-adolescent groups showing greater improvement than…

The Cross-Cultural Experiences program for immigrant adolescents assumes that these adolescents are not different from their American-born contemporaries in ego development, moral reasoning, and identity development. The experimental curriculum stimulates psychological development. (Author/BEF)

Assesses how similar same-sex friends are in their level of moral development. Results indicate significant relationships only for male-female dyads. The functions of different dyadic friendships are discussed, including Piaget's and Kohlberg's ideas that peers have a role in promoting cognitive growth. (Author/BEF)

The main assumptions and categories of Kohlberg's theory are outlined. New empirical studies and critical reviews are discussed, and their implications assessed. The relevance of the theory to moral education is seen as self-evident. The conditions for the efficacy of moral education programs are discussed. (Editor/SJL)

Argues that a coherent program of moral education should be a part of the school's total effort to provide opportunities that foster the development of intelligent behavior and that the skills of critical reading may be used in this endeavor. (FL)

Reports three experiments which investigated the reactions of children in grades 1-6 to the perpetrators and victims of injustices. Addresses the possibility that characteristics of the perpetrators may affect reactions to the victim. (JMB)

Children's judgments of whether another's misdeeds warrant punishment and, if so, how much punishment, appear to depend upon (1) the degree of external constraint (e.g., provocation) on the transgressor, (2) the age of the child making the judgment, (3) the sex of the transgressor and (4) the sex of the child making the judgment. (BH)

Kindergartners, third and sixth graders were asked to evaluate factors in filmed sequences depicting accidental or intentional damage followed by expiation, explanation or no reprimand. (MS)

"Sophomoritis" is identified as a period of adolescent development concerned primarily with raising all kinds of moral questions but also doubting all answers. Criticism is leveled at educational institutions for implicitly supporting sophomoritis. Proposes a course utilizing the students' natural development, together with the conceptual…

Distinguishes between naturalistic and existential themes in modern psychology and outlines the empirical criteria that identify a naturalistic or Piagetian sequence. Argues that the first four stages of Kohlberg's typology meet the criteria for a naturalistic developmental sequence but the higher stages instead appear to be existential or…