Self-Control From Birth Through Adolescence Analysis

Development of Moral Reasoning and Self-Control from Birth through Adolescence
Carol Robson
EDD557
Ferbruary 9, 2015
Jennifer Tucker
Development of Moral Reasoning and Self-Control from Birth through Adolescence

There are several widely accepted major theories of moral development, and each one is based on the concept of stages of growth and advancement. All the theories correlate stages of moral development with the concurrent stages of cognitive development and maturation that seem necessary to their emergence. A stage is defined as “a period in development in which people exhibit typical behavior patterns and establish particular capacities. … People pass through stages in a specific order, with each stage building on capacities
Behaviors conform to internal principles [justice and equality] to avoid self-condemnation and sometimes may violate society’s rules—motivation is feeling right with oneself. Individuals adopt an orientation towards universal principles of justice, which exist regardless of a particular society’s rules. Reasoning assumes a conscience that is based on self chosen ethical principles that place the highest value on human life, equality and dignity. Civil disobedience is not out of disrespect for law and order, but out of respect for a morality higher than the existing law” (Mwale,
Role Confusion, and maintains that “[d] uring adolescence, which is the period between puberty and adulthood, children try to determine their identity and their direction in life. Depending on their success, they either acquire a sense of identity or remain uncertain about their roles in life” (Theories of Development, 2014). Developing an internally based definition of right and wrong is a crucial process in both forming personal identity and in moral development; it’s very much a part of the “struggle to find a balance between developing a unique, individual identity while still being accepted and ‘fitting in.’ Thus, youth must determine who they want to be, and how they want to be perceived by others” (Oswalt & Zupanick, 2015). Whether or not this identity crisis is resolved satisfactorily, Kohlberg maintained that in the area of moral development “Postconventional