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Family interaction and moral stage transition: A longitudinal study
Abstract
This study examined the relationship between single-parent and two-parent family interactions, and adolescent moral stage transition. The aim of the study was to identify over a two-year period, through direct observation of these families, the interaction patterns particular to families whose adolescent was making the transition from one moral stage to a higher stage. There were 145 subjects; 54 families. Seventeen single-parent and 37 two-parent Caucasian, middle-class families. The adolescents were in the ninth to the 12th grade at a suburban high-school. Adolescent moral judgment was assessed according to Kohlberg's categories of moral stages, and family discussion of revealed differences on hypothetical moral dilemmas were observed. Powers' Developmental Environments Coding System was revised and used to code observed interactions. The results suggest that adolescents at different levels of moral development may require different kinds of family interactions to stimulate moral development and stage transition. Adolescents at the pre-conventional level who approach moral issues from a concrete perspective may benefit from family behaviors which focus, verify and clarify a discussion. Adolescents at the conventional level may benefit from behaviors which elaborate or defend a particular view point, challenge or criticize another's reasoning, and also benefit from affectively conflictual behaviors.
Subject Area
Social psychology|Individual & family studies|Sociology
Recommended Citation
Stephenson-Loiodice, Margaret, "Family interaction and moral stage transition: A longitudinal study" (1993). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9329671.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9329671