According to Piaget’s theory, there are three broad stages of moral development. In the first, the child is still mastering motor and social skills and unconcerned with morality. In the second, the child exhibits unconditional respect for rules and submission to authority. In the last stage, the child recognizes that rules can be changed with group consensus; the intentions of an actor rather than just the consequences of the action should be considered in judging the morality of an act. Piaget believed that there were two main levels to moral development during childhood. The first is called heteronomous morality, and the second is called autonomous morality.
Heteronomous morality is the moral understanding that, rules handed down by authority figures such as parents, teachers and government leaders are seen as absolute and unbreakable. Basically, children accept that authority figures have godlike powers, and are able to make rules that last forever, do not change, and must be followed. Children’s reasoning regarding why these rules should be followed is generally based squarely upon their appreciation of consequences associated with breaking the rules. As breaking the rules tends to lead to negative personal consequences, most children follow the rules as a way to avoid being punished.
Children’s appreciation of morality changes towards the end of middle childhood as a result of their recently developed ability to view situations from other people’s perspectives. As children develop the ability to put themselves into someone else’s shoes, their appreciation of morality becomes more autonomous ,self-directed, and less black and white and absolutist in nature. Piaget called this expanded appreciation a “morality of cooperation”. Starting at about age 10 or 11 and continuing through adolescence, children will have generally begun to view moral rules as socially-agreed upon guidelines designed to benefit the group. Children using this frame of reference still feel that it is important to follow rules, but these rules are viewed as complex, somewhat negotiable guidelines that are meant to improve everyone’s lives. Children realize that making choices about following the rules should be based on something more than fear of negative personal consequences or desire for individual gain. Decisions affect everyone; and can benefit and/or hurt everyone.
Oswalt, A. (2010).Piaget's Theory of Moral Development. Retrieved from http://www.sevencounties.org
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