Assessment of Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development in Two Cultures

Abstract

Abstract This study examines possible relationships between moral judgements of 40 subjects from two cultures. The cognitive developmental theory of moral development proposed by Kohlberg was used both as a theoretical framework and as a basis for measuring moral reasoning. The population sample consisted of 40 students, male and female, between the ages of 14 and 15, 20 from Algeria and 20 from the United Kingdom. Each subject in the study was individually interviewed on two of Kohlberg's moral dilemmas. The interviews were tape‐recorded, transcribed and then coded for moral maturity scores (MMS) and moral stages of the subjects. The results showed significant differences in the mean scores of moral maturity between the two groups. Important differences were also found between the two groups in the level of the content of the subjects’ responses. The data support the prediction that the cultural and religious values had an impact on Kohlberg's moral stages.