Examines several issues arising from two differing approaches to morality--Kohlberg's theory of moral reasoning development and Gilligan's theory of moral orientations. (PCB)

Examines several issues concerning Gilligan's and Kohlberg's models of moral orientations and Kohlberg's model of moral stages in a longitudinal study of 233 subjects aged 5 to 63 years. Results revealed few violations of the stage sequence over the two-year longitudinal interval. (RJC)

Examined correlates of prosocial moral reasoning (PMR) in two studies. Study one investigated differences in PMR in Brazilian children and adolescents and U.S. adolescents. Study two examined relations between PMR and prosocial behaviors and gender role orientations of Brazilian adolescents. Age and gender differences in PMR were similar for…

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)

Upper-middle-class and working-class children (N=249) were sampled to examine the relationship between maternal disciplinary practices and the development of moral judgment. Results indicated only upper-middle-class girls' moral development was significantly correlated with maternal disciplinary practices. (Author/DB)

Challenges Carol Gilligan's (1982) assertion that there are two fundamentally different and gender-related orientations to morality, namely a male justice orientation and a female care orientation. Argues that Gilligan's view that these orientations are logically and psychologically incompatible and that their developmental origins are in early…

Examines the moral orientations of 212 male and female characters in 50 works of fiction for school-aged children using a modified version of Lyon's coding scheme. Findings confirm sex role stereotypic characterizations that could influence development of moral decision-making. (FMW)

Article considered the ethical ideals in children by investigating the child's description of the ideal person and also that of the wicked person. (Author/RK)

Examined contribution of temperamental inhibitory control to conscience development. Found longitudinal stability in inhibitory control from toddlerhood to early school age, with inhibitory control increasing with age, and girls outperforming boys. Reaffirmed links between inhibitory control and multiple, diverse measures of children's conscience…

This study was conducted to learn more about the moral development of Hawaiian children and adolescents and to assess if grade level (grade 5, 7, 9, or 11) or gender were related to the children's reported level of self-esteem. Eighty Hawaiian children and adolescents from low-to middle-income families were interviewed individually, asked to solve…

Piaget's and Kohlberg's interview and scoring methods for assessing moral judgment in children were empirically compared. Based on cognitive development and social learning theories, six hypotheses were tested on 139 elementary school children. After being interviewed, the children participated in a moral conduct task. Multiple linear regressions…

Among Koreans tested on Rest's Defining Issues Test, females, urban people, and older subjects showed significantly more responses demonstrating principled morality than did males, rural people, and younger subjects. Comparisons with American results showed greater age differences in stages of moral development among Americans. Both groups showed…

Examined prosocial moral reasoning in children during an 11-year period. Found that (1) hedonistically oriented reasoning declined until adolescence; (2) reasoning based on others' needs increased until early adolescence and then declined; and (3) girls' overall reasoning was higher than boys'. Found some association of prosocial reasoning with…

Three principles of work distribution were considered: (1) direct cause; (2) self-regulation; and (3) continuing responsibility. Children of 8, 11, and 14 years of age performed a job sorting task and commented on the fairness of work arrangements in vignettes. Results showed a differential development for the three principles rather than a…

This book comprises articles exploring the origins and development of guilt and its relationship to adaptive behavior and mental illness in children. The articles are grouped in four sections, covering the nature of guilt; how guilt develops; inducing, instilling, and alleviating guilt; and guilt and adjustment. The articles are: (1) "How Does…