WJEC A Level Psychology
WJEC A Level Psychology Developmental Psychology (Kohlberg, 1968) Exam Questions
Free WJEC A Level Psychology revision for Developmental Psychology (Kohlberg, 1968): what you need to know, common mistakes and exam-style questions with answers. Covers Kohlberg's 1968 moral development study: dilemmas, interviews, longitudinal and cross-cultural design, six stages and evaluation.
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About WJEC A Level Psychology Developmental Psychology (Kohlberg, 1968)
The developmental psychology study for Unit 2 Section B is Kohlberg (1968), 'The child as a moral philosopher'. It shows how developmental psychologists investigate change over time. Kohlberg interviewed boys about hypothetical moral dilemmas, scored the reasoning behind their answers, followed the same participants for years and compared cultures. You need the stages and main findings, but exam questions emphasise research principles: the interview method, qualitative data, sampling and gender bias, and the reliability of scoring. Kohlberg is a good contrast with Milgram, as one is a controlled lab study and the other a long-term interview study.
What you need to know
- Aim To show that moral reasoning develops through an invariant sequence of stages linked to cognitive development.
- Method Kohlberg interviewed 75 American boys, initially aged 10 to 16, using hypothetical moral dilemmas such as whether Heinz should steal a drug to save his dying wife, and re-interviewed them at intervals over many years. Boys in other cultures, including Taiwan, Mexico and Turkey, were also studied.
- Three levels, six stages Pre-conventional: (1) punishment and obedience, (2) instrumental self-interest. Conventional: (3) good boy, nice girl, (4) law and order. Post-conventional: (5) social contract, (6) universal ethical principles.
- Findings Stages appeared in the same order across cultures, though the rate of development varied and many people never reached post-conventional reasoning. Stage 6 reasoning was rare.
- Research principles Semi-structured interviews produced qualitative data that had to be interpreted and categorised. The longitudinal element tracks real change in the same people; the cross-cultural element tests whether the sequence is universal.
Common mistakes in Developmental Psychology (Kohlberg, 1968)
- Scoring the answer instead of the reasoning. Two boys giving the same decision about Heinz could be at different stages.
- Describing the sample as mixed sex. It was all boys, which Gilligan argued biased the theory towards a male justice orientation.
- Saying the stages are age-specific. Kohlberg's stages follow an order, but people move through them at different rates.
- Ignoring researcher interpretation. Coding interview answers into stages is subjective, so inter-rater reliability is a key issue.
- Mixing up level and stage names. There are three levels, each with two stages.
Try three Developmental Psychology (Kohlberg, 1968) exam-style questions
1. Explain why Kohlberg's research is described as longitudinal. (2 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
The same participants were studied repeatedly over a long period; so changes in their moral reasoning could be tracked as they grew older.
2. A boy says Heinz should not steal the drug because he would go to prison. Identify the stage of moral reasoning. (1 mark)
Show the mark scheme answer
Stage 1, punishment and obedience orientation (pre-conventional level).
3. Evaluate the sample used by Kohlberg (1968). (6 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
All-male sample means findings may not generalise to females; Gilligan argued it produced a gender-biased theory that undervalues care-based reasoning; initial sample of American boys reflects one culture, although cross-cultural comparisons partly address this; following the same boys controls participant variables; attrition over time may bias the sample.
Developmental Psychology (Kohlberg, 1968) FAQs
What does WJEC A Level Psychology Developmental Psychology (Kohlberg, 1968) cover?
Kohlberg's research into moral development, his stages, and the strengths and weaknesses of his longitudinal, cross-cultural interview method.
Which paper is Kohlberg examined in?
It is examined in Section B of Unit 2, Psychology: Using Psychological Concepts, which covers principles of research and the application of research methods to a novel scenario.
What research methods terms can I link to Kohlberg?
Longitudinal design, cross-cultural research, semi-structured interviews, qualitative data, gender bias, inter-rater reliability and ecological validity of hypothetical dilemmas.
