Social and Emotional Development
Determine an indication of your subject's social and emotional development conducting a clinical interview. This interview will be based upon Lawrence Kohlberg’s approach to measure a child’s level of moral reasoning. It involves reading and reacting to moral dilemmas. Read the following dilemma to your subject and then classify their response according to the stages listed below.
Holly/Willian was a young child, about your age, who really liked to climb trees. In fact Holly/William was the best tree climber in the neighborhood. After spending an afternoon up in the trees in his/her back yard one day, Holly/William was just climbing down when he/she slipped on a low branch and fell to the ground. Just at that moment, his/her father happened to walk into the yard and see Holly/William fall. Although he/she wasn’t hurt the father was very concerned that falling accidently from a much higher branch could lead to a very serious injury. The father asked Holly/William to promise nevre to climb trees again, and Holly/William agreed and promised he/she wouldn’t.
Several days later, the kids next door came running into Holly’s/William’s yard. Their new kitten was stuck high up in a tree, and since Holly/William wa the best climber they wanted him/her to clumb up and get it. They even said the tiny kitten was barely hanging on and could fall out of the tree at any minute. Holly’s/William’s parents were out picky up dinner at Pizza Hut, but she/he remembered the promise she/he had made to his/her father.
What should Holly/William do?
If Holly/William decides to climb ther tree and save the kitten, do you think father would understand?
If she/he climbs the tree should he/she tell her father?
What if Holly’s/William’s father had made the promise and broke it, would it have been okay then?
Are Promises important to you, why?
Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Reasoning
Stage 1. Concerned about punishment and obedience to the father, often because promises are viewed as absolute. Some at this stage may think its okay for the father to break promises, but not for children.
Stage 2. Concerned about the "deal" represented by the promise and recognizes that the promise wasn’t made with the kitten in mind. Punishment and obedience may still be mentioned, but only as outcomes for a decision which involves personal relationships -- weighing the importance of the promise against the importance of the kitten. Ultimately, the child must make a decision based on the situation.
Stage 3. A decided orientation to peer groups and others’ expectations. Decisions are based less on absolutes than on what others need or expect. There is a strong perspective-taking component (reasoning from others’ points of view) present in explanations. Doing what’s right for everyone is important.
Stage 4. Promises are seen in social rather than legal (absolute) terms. Their function is to help keep order and avoid chaos in interpersonal relationships. There are always circumstances which might void a promise and reasonable people would view it the same way.