Cognitive Explanations: Moral Reasoning
- Created by: emmarhianne
- Created on: 21-02-17 11:22
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- Cognitive explanations: Moral reasoning
- Thinking in a consistent and logical way about right and wrong with reference to socially agreed principles
- Kohlberg's theory: criminals have a lower level of moral reasoning than others, do not progress from pre-conventional level of moral reasoning- seek to avoid ounishment and gain rewards, child-like reasoning
- Non criminals tend to reason at higher levels and sympathise with the rights of others, exhibiting honesty, generosity and non-violence (post-conventional moral reasoning)
- Criminals are likely to be at pre-conventional level of moral development, they believe that breaking the law is justified if the rewards outweigh the costs or if punishment can be avoided: child-like reasoning to make judgements
- Research evidence: CHEN AND HOWITT used the stages to assess 330 male adolescent offenders in Taiwan- those who showed more advanced reasoning were less likely to be involved in violent crimes, stages also seem to be universal
- Concerned with moral thinking rather than behaviour. KREBS suggested that moral principles are only one factor and can be overriden by practical factors- financial gains
- PALMER AND HOLLIN: compared moral reasoning between 210 female non offenders, 112 male non offenders and 126 convicted, using Socio-moral reflection measure whihc contains moral-dilemma related questions; offenders less mature.
- BLACKBURN suggests this is due to their childhood lacking moral role playing opportunities which may have helped mature moral reasoning to develop
- Descriptive not explanatory: 'after fact' only useful when predicting not much insight into why.
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