Kohlberg Moral Development

Kohlberg: Moral Development

Level 1: Pre-Conventional

• Avoid punishment


• Seek reward

Level 2: Conventional

• Social approval


• Law & Order

Level 3: Post-Conventional

• Fairness & Justice


• Adoption of universal moral principles

Psychosocial Development

Erik Erikson

Psychosocial Stages of Development in Adulthood

Stage 6: Intimacy vs. Isolation (Early Adulthood 18-30 years)

F Shares intimate feelings with one special person (or few special people) or becomes lonely and isolated.

Stage 7: Generativity vs. Stagnation (Middle Adulthood)

F Feels the need to contribute something important to the world, otherwise feels useless and deteriorates or stagnates.

Stage 8: Ego Integrity vs. Ego Despair (Late Adulthood)

F Person looks at the past and feels a sense of accomplishment and that she has been true to her values, beliefs, and goals otherwise may despair and feel life was worthless.

Levinson: Adulthood Crises

Male

1. Entering Young Adulthood
2. Age 30 Crisis
3. Settling Down
4. Becoming one's own man
5. Midlife Crisis
6. Entering Middle Adulthood

Female

1. Family vs. Career
2. Beauty in Old Age
3. Empty Nest Syndrom

Questions to Consider

1. Are the gender differences of crises that Levinson found true?
2. Are they due to sexual identity or to gender roles?
3. Are the age-30 crisis and Midlife crisis avoidable?
4. Is the empty nest syndrom avoidable?

Web resources:
Adult Development Theory - contains a description of Levinson's crises (do a search for Levinson and the page)
Exploring Psychology textbook has some great information on theories of aging

Adulthood & Old Age Issues

Review

Review game: test tomorrow on entire study guide

Case Study Analysis

Factors Contributing to Juvenile Delinquency

• Parental influences/dysfunctions
• Parenting style Permissive parenting style
• Responsibility-Freedom balance Too much freedom too soon à making bad choices
• Broken family Father left (lack of father figure leads to desire for “manliness”); good relationship with mom, but she is always working; older siblings
• Peer/friend influence or problems – social Group negative identity formation? Spoiled à independence / thrill seeking?
• Biological – hormone imbalance
• Biological – psychological disorder
• Traumatic event (molestation, abuse, etc.)
• Socioeconomic pressures (being poor à “need” to steal, etc.)
• How well complete Havighurst’s tasks
• Havighurst: preparing for career good grades, personal skills, did well on jobs, variety of jobs
• Havighurst: assurance of economic independence Saved $4,000; 2 struggling siblings; 2 siblings doing ok; comparing self to rich friends?
• Accepting physical make-up Good looking & knows it, arrogance, a bit insecure about looks – perfectionist
• Relationships with peers of both sexes Girlfriend, friends who follow him, pleasant personality, class officer
• Social competence racism, good work ethic, good relationship with adults, never stole from people he knew
• Prepare for marriage & family Girlfriend, treats her with respect, buys her expensive gifts, sexual relationship
• Dealing with reality does not think about consequences of actions, deals with present not future, does not think about effects on his friends & family, laws are optional, loud music <à good at school, seems to have sense of importance of work
• Identity confusion Wants to be Catholic, but not to accept teaching, Wants to seem perfect but steals and lies à Foreclosure (expectations of peer group à stealing; parents & teachers à model student, athlete); Diffused à no real attempt to define himself
• Cognitive: frustration caused by difficulty with concrete operations Possible Signs of frustration: sex, smoking, stealing
• Cognitive: late formal operations à frustration in school, social difficulties, morality would be black & white
• Psychoanalysis: Id stronger than ego Seeks pleasures (smoking, sex) – may be seeking thrill by stealing
• Moral development: egocentricàperspective reversal seek reward
• Social: Need for attention Being rejected by the priest/Church/God à sense of social acceptance