AP Psychology: Moral Development - The Night Before 🌃

Hey there, future psych master! Let's get you prepped for the exam with a super-focused review of moral development. We'll make sure everything clicks, and you'll be walking into that exam feeling like a total pro. Let's dive in!

Moral Development: An Overview

According to Jean Piaget, moral reasoning develops alongside symbolic thinking 🕊️. Moral concepts are complex, needing abstract thought. As we grow, so does our sense of right and wrong.

Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development

Lawrence Kohlberg studied moral reasoning by presenting moral dilemmas. He believed we move through stages to understand our moral beliefs. He is most famous for his Heinz dilemma:

Heinz's wife needs a life-saving drug, but he can't afford it. Should he steal it?

Three Levels of Morality

Kohlberg proposed three levels, each with its own focus:

• Preconventional Morality (before age 9)
  • Morality is self-centered, based on rewards and punishments.

* Example: "Stealing is bad because you'll go to jail," or "Steal it to be a hero!"

• Conventional Morality (early adolescence)
  • Morality is based on social norms and maintaining order.

* Example: "Don't steal because it's wrong, and everyone will think you're bad."

• Postconventional Morality (adolescence and beyond)
  • Morality is based on personal ethical principles and human rights.

* Example: "Steal it because people deserve to live," or "The pharmacist is greedy and wrong."

Here's a quick table to keep it all straight:

Criticisms of Kohlberg

• His work is somewhat culturally limited, favoring individualistic cultures.
• People in individualistic societies (valuing personal standards) are more likely to show post-conventional morality, compared to those in collectivistic societies (valuing community standards).

Morality, Gender, and Carol Gilligan

Carol Gilligan added a gender perspective to moral development. She felt Kohlberg's theories focused too much on male thought processes 🙍🏽‍♂️. She studied how women develop their sense of morality, and how it differs from men.

Gilligan's Two Moral Orientations

• Justice-Based Morality (often seen in men):

  • Focuses on autonomy, fairness, and equality.
  • Actions are based on abstract principles and rules.

• Care-Based Morality (often seen in women):

  • Emphasizes interconnectedness 🥰 and relationships.
  • Focuses on avoiding violence and maintaining relationships.

Kohlberg vs. Gilligan: A Quick Comparison

Final Exam Focus

Okay, let's get down to the nitty-gritty. Here's what you absolutely need to nail for exam day:

• Kohlberg's Stages: Know the levels and their focuses inside and out. Be ready to apply them to scenarios.
• Gilligan's Critique: Understand how her work challenges Kohlberg's and the core differences in male and female moral orientations.
• Cultural Influences: Recognize how culture can affect moral reasoning.
• Application: Be able to apply these theories to real-world dilemmas.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Confusing Stages: Don't mix up preconventional, conventional, and postconventional reasoning.
• Ignoring Gender: Remember Gilligan's perspective and how it contrasts with Kohlberg.
• Overgeneralizing: Be careful not to apply these theories universally, especially across cultures.

Exam Strategies

• Time Management: Don't spend too long on one question. If you're stuck, move on and come back later.
• Read Carefully: Pay close attention to the wording of each question. The AP exam is all about precision.
• Use Examples: When answering FRQs, always back up your points with concrete examples.

Practice Questions

Time to test your knowledge! Let's tackle some practice questions.

Practice Question

Multiple Choice Questions

1. A child in Kohlberg's preconventional stage of moral development would likely say that stealing is wrong because: (A) It violates social norms. (B) It could lead to punishment. (C) It is not what a good person would do. (D) It goes against universal ethical principles. (E) It disrupts the social order.

2. Carol Gilligan's critique of Kohlberg's theory of moral development suggests that: (A) Kohlberg's stages are not universal. (B) Women tend to prioritize justice over care. (C) Men and women progress through the stages at different rates. (D) Women's moral reasoning is based on care and relationships. (E) Kohlberg's theory is completely invalid.

3. According to Kohlberg, a person who argues that laws should be changed to protect the rights of all people is operating at the: (A) Preconventional level. (B) Conventional level. (C) Postconventional level. (D) Concrete operational level. (E) Formal operational level.

Free Response Question (FRQ)

A psychologist is studying moral development in adolescents. She presents the Heinz dilemma to a group of teenagers and records their responses. A participant named Sarah says, "Heinz should steal the drug because everyone has a right to live, and the pharmacist is being greedy." Another participant, Michael, says, "Heinz should not steal the drug because stealing is wrong, and he could go to jail."

(a) Identify the stage of moral development that Sarah is demonstrating, according to Kohlberg's theory. Explain your reasoning. (b) Identify the stage of moral development that Michael is demonstrating, according to Kohlberg's theory. Explain your reasoning. (c) Explain how Carol Gilligan might critique Kohlberg's analysis of Sarah's and Michael's responses.

Scoring Guidelines

(a) 1 point: Sarah is demonstrating postconventional morality. The response must identify the correct stage. * 1 point: Explanation: Sarah's reasoning is based on universal ethical principles (right to life) and a critique of the pharmacist's behavior, which are hallmarks of postconventional thinking.

(b) 1 point: Michael is demonstrating preconventional morality. The response must identify the correct stage. * 1 point: Explanation: Michael's reasoning is based on avoiding punishment (going to jail), which is a characteristic of preconventional thinking.

(c) 1 point: Gilligan might argue that Kohlberg's analysis is biased towards a justice-based perspective, which is more typical of male moral reasoning. She might say that Sarah's response shows a focus on care and relationships, while Michael's response shows a focus on rules and punishment. The response must explain how Gilligan’s theory might apply.

Practice AP FRQ - 2019

Let's break down that 2019 FRQ:

1. A psychologist conducted a study at her home during an annual activity of children wearing masks and going door-to-door receiving candy. Some of the children arrived alone, while others arrived in a group. Over the course of the night, the psychologist asked half of the children to remove their masks when they arrived at her door. The remaining half kept their masks on. The psychologist told every child to take only one piece of candy. She then went inside the house, leaving the bowl of candy outside. This gave children the opportunity to take additional candy. The psychologist measured the percentage of children who took additional candy. The psychologist’s hypotheses were that children would take more candy when they were alone and that children would take more candy when they were masked. The results are shown in the graph below; assume all differences are significant.

From College Board

(a) Identify the operational definition of the dependent variable in this study.

(b) Explain how the data support or do not support each of the psychologist’s hypotheses.

(c) Explain why the psychologist cannot generalize her findings to all children.

(d) Explain why the study is not a naturalistic observation.

(e) Explain how each of the following might have played a role in the children’s behavior: Modeling, Deindividuation, Lawrence Kohlberg's preconventional stage.

Answers

(a) The operational definition of the dependent variable is the percentage of children who took additional candy.

(b) The data do not support the hypothesis that children would take more candy when they were alone. The data do support the hypothesis that children would take more candy when they were masked.

(c) The psychologist cannot generalize her findings to all children because the study was conducted in her home, during a specific event, with a limited sample of children. The sample may not be representative of all children.

(d) This study is not a naturalistic observation because the psychologist manipulated variables (masking, group size) and the children were aware they were being observed. Naturalistic observation involves observing behavior in a natural setting without manipulation.

(e) Here's how each concept might play a role:

*   **Modeling:** If children saw others taking extra candy, they might be more likely to do the same.
*   **Deindividuation:** Being masked might have led to a loss of self-awareness and a greater likelihood of taking extra candy.
*   **Kohlberg's Preconventional Stage:** Children in this stage, motivated by avoiding punishment or seeking rewards, might take extra candy if they thought they wouldn't get caught.

You've got this! Keep reviewing, stay confident, and you'll absolutely crush the AP Psychology exam. You’re ready to go! 🚀