The cognitive-developmental theory of moral development of the handicapped--i.e., a stage-like progress of moral reasoning with age--is only partially confirmed. While there is a development from the less to the more mature forms of moral reasoning, that course of development is not entirely such as the theory assumes. (Author/RM)

This researcher examined the development of social (moral) reasoning as a result of student exposure to the social, experiential atmosphere of a school community with intensive education. A group of 250 students in grades nine through twelve were given the Defining Issues Test which examined social reasoning on six moral judgment stories. The…

Moral development is viewed as a matter of progression in the cognitive reasoning and rationale underlying choices and judgments. Traditionally, retrospective reports of rationales have been used to measure moral development levels, resulting in unreliable information. Information Integration Theory attempts to assess individual differences in…

Four experiments were conducted to explore issues in the development and modification of both moral choices and judgments of achievement using concepts and data from a social judgment perspective. In the first experiment, college students functioning at different reasoning levels indicated on a 20-point scale their strength of belief that an…

Described is a curriculum development effort in U.S. history--the "Reasoning with Democratic Values" series--aimed at stimulating higher-order thinking. Features of cognitive developmental psychology and of the new social studies materials are used in the lessons that ask students to examine and discuss ethical controversies. (RM)