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…

Describes teaching guides, units, and general discussions of values education. (DD)

Nineteen hospitalized, emotionally disturbed boys screened for maltreatment either before or after age 3 were compared with a normal control group for enzyme activity and conscience functions in moral valuation. Subjects who experienced early maltreatment had more developmental delays and more interferences with conscience functions than other…

Discusses conception of moral formation. Traces progress to moral maturity through well defined stages of cognitive, conative, and/or affective growth. Explains that logical status of developmental theories are not clear. Argues that the accounts are more evaluative than descriptive. Explores the problematic moral educational implications of this…