Deck 14: Moral Development

Question 1

Of the following statements, which best describes how a teacher or other adult can best promote children's moral development?

A) By presenting moral dilemmas that create mental discomfort
B) By consistently presenting postconventional explanations
C) By letting children's moral development unfold naturally
D) By talking daily about right versus wrong behaviors

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which one of the following youngsters is exhibiting conventional reasoning as Kohlberg described it?

A) Adam does what the teacher says because he knows he will be punished if he doesn't.
B) Barbara obeys the teacher because she thinks that doing so will get her a good grade.
C) Clara obeys the teacher because she understands that good behavior is essential for creating a climate in which all students can learn.
D) Don obeys the teacher because school rules say he must obey her, and it is his duty to obey school rules.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Youngsters at Kohlberg's preconventional level of moral reasoning are likely to define "right" behavior in terms of:

A) What people expect of them
B) What they can get away with
C) Abstract principles of morality
D) Society's standards regarding what's right or wrong

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Three of the following statements are accurate about children's and/or adolescents' moral behavior. Which statement is not accurate?

A) Children become less generous with age, apparently because they gain greater appreciation for the value of money.
B) Some adolescents incorporate a commitment to helping others into their overall sense of self.
C) Youngsters are more likely to behave morally if doing so does not cause them much inconvenience.
D) Youngsters are more likely to behave morally if they know they will gain others' approval by doing so.

Question 5

Which one of the following statements reflects Kohlberg's preconventional moral reasoning?

A) "Cheating is against school rules, so I shouldn't do it."
B) "It isn't fair to the students who studied hard if I cheat."
C) "It's okay to cheat on this exam because the teacher isn't watching me."
D) "The most popular boy in school cheats all the time, so I guess I can too."

Question 6

Only one of the following statements is accurate regarding similarities or differences in moral standards across cultures. Which one?

A) Intentionally telling lies is considered to be morally wrong in all cultures.
B) Virtually all cultures tend to value both individual rights and compassion for others.
C) Because cultures can be so very different from one another, similarities in moral standards are few and far between.
D) Because youngsters' notions of right and wrong are based on universal (and possibly inherited) moral principles, there are cultural differences only in social conventions, not in moral standards.

Question 7

Only of the following statements about guilt and shame is accurate. Which one is true?

A) Both emotions play an important role in motivating moral and prosocial behavior.
B) Children begin to experience guilt and shame sometime around their first birthday.
C) Adults should avoid making children feel guilty and ashamed, as such emotions adversely affect their self-esteem.
D) In certain circumstances guilt can enhance social-emotional development, but shame is almost always detrimental to children's long-term emotional well-being

Question 8

Imagine that you are a fourth-grade teacher. The parents of your students want you to include moral issues in your classroom curriculum. A few parents who have read about Kohlberg's theory of moral development want you to help the students progress to postconventional moral reasoning. You should reply by pointing out that:

A) This is a good idea because postconventional reasoning will promote abstract thought.
B) There is nothing you can do to promote moral development before students reach adolescence.
C) Postconventional reasoning is an unrealistic goal for fourth graders.
D) Research studies indicate that most students have already reached the postconventional level by fourth grade.

Question 9

Three of the following are accurate statements about the shortcomings of Kohlberg's theory of moral reasoning. Which one is inaccurate?

A) The same child may reason at different levels depending on the situation.
B) Children often show conventional thinking for several years and then revert back to preconventional thinking when they reach adolescence.
C) Kohlberg overlooked the importance of caring and compassion in moral reasoning and behavior.
D) Most elementary school children distinguish between two kinds of "wrong" behaviors-those that are morally wrong and those that violate cultural standards.

Question 10

Which one of the following adolescents is exhibiting postconventional reasoning as Kohlberg described it?

A) Adam does what the teacher says because he knows he will be punished if he doesn't.
B) Barbara obeys the teacher because she thinks that doing so will get her a good grade.
C) Clara obeys the teacher because she understands that good behavior is essential for creating a climate in which all students can learn.
D) Don obeys the teacher because school rules say he must obey her, and it is his duty to obey school rules.

Question 11

When school lunch is delayed for an hour due to an unexpected power outage in the cafeteria, 14-year-old Henrietta is asked to share her box of home-baked cookies with her classmates. Given what developmental researchers have learned about how distributive justice and children's sense of fairness change with age, we would expect Henrietta to:

A) Share the cookies equally among her classmates
B) Hide about a third of the cookies for herself and hand out the rest
C) Share the cookies equally, but give any extra cookies to classmates whose families don't have much money
D) Refuse to share any of the cookies, arguing that she baked them herself and so has every right to keep them for herself

Question 12

At a Parent Teacher Association (PTA) meeting at your school, several parents complain about the moral decline of today's youth and argue that the school should be giving regular lectures about the importance of honesty, loyalty, generosity, and so on. If the teachers and school administrators are up to date on research regarding moral development, they should respond by saying that such lectures:

A) Would do little if anything to promote moral development
B) Can be effective only if parents urge their children to take the lectures seriously
C) Are likely to be effective for elementary students but not for junior high and high school students
D) Are likely to be effective for junior high and high school students but not for elementary school students

Question 13

If we look at children's moral development from the perspective of Lawrence Kohlberg's stage theory, then we would expect to see which one of the following trends?

A) Preschool children have little idea of what behaviors are likely to be punished. As they proceed through the school years, they show an increasing tendency to avoid punishment by behaving appropriately.
B) In the late elementary years (fifth and sixth grade), we see a temporary reversal to the immoral behavior of the preschool years.
C) Children become increasingly more "religious" in how they define "right" and "wrong" (e.g., by defining "right" as obeying the Koran or Ten Commandments).
D) Children become increasingly likely to define "right" and "wrong" in terms of what behaviors will help society run smoothly.

Question 14

When we see signs that a child feels ashamed or guilty about something that he or she has done, we can reasonably conclude that the child:

A) Has a poor sense of self-worth
B) Has developed a sense of right and wrong
C) Will show a temporary increase in aggressive behavior
D) Will become socially withdrawn unless an adult intervenes

Question 15

Which one of the following teacher statements is most likely to promote students' moral development?

A) "Your current behavior is not acceptable in my classroom. As a consequence, you'll have to stay after school today."
B) "You mustn't take Ruthie's paper, or I won't like you any more."
C) "If you don't help with clean-up, you don't get to go out on recess."
D) "You destroyed Martha's paper, and now she has to stay late to finish rewriting it."

Question 16

As a parent, you are committed to using induction as a way of promoting your children's moral development. You just discovered that one of your children, John, has been teasing another child every day at recess. You should respond by:

A) Punishing John by sending him to his room when he gets home from school
B) Punishing John but also asking him to reflect on the other child's feelings about being teased
C) Talking with the teacher about an appropriate consequence either at school or at home
D) Arranging for another child to tease John at school so he gets a taste of his own medicine

Question 17

Which one of the following behaviors is a kindergartner most likely to say is (morally) "bad" or "wrong"?

A) Arriving at school after class has started
B) Pushing someone off the top of a slide
C) Stating an obvious untruth (e.g., "Grass is red")
D) Giving someone food that doesn't taste very good

Question 18

Carol Gilligan's theory of moral development differs from Lawrence Kohlberg's theory in that it:

A) Focuses more on a "human rights" perspective of moral development
B) Proposes that girls exhibit more rapid moral development than boys
C) Proposes that boys exhibit more rapid moral development than girls
D) Focuses more on the development of caring and compassion

Question 19

Which one of the following is most typical of the moral development of high school students?

A) Reluctance to share possessions with others
B) Tendency to disregard rules if no authority figure is present
C) Empathy for the victims of a widespread famine or epidemic
D) Shame, but not guilt, about harm that one has unintentionally caused another

Question 20

Three of the following would be considered moral transgressions. Which one is an example of a conventional transgression?

A) Shoving a younger child to the ground
B) Telling a lie that ruins a classmate's reputation
C) Stealing a fellow student's homework assignment
D) Forgetting to say "Thank you" when receiving a gift

Question 21

Bert is looking for his favorite toy truck in the preschool sand pile. He sees that Ernie is playing with it. Bert pushes Ernie away and reaches for the truck. Bert's behavior is an example of:

A) Reactive aggression
B) Proactive aggression
C) Relational aggression
D) A hostile attributional bias

Question 22

Which of the following is not recommended for students who are at risk due to frequent aggression, poor coping skills, or who are rejected by their peers?

A) Use the same approach for each student
B) Get students involved in extracurricular activities
C) Systematic encouragement of productive behaviors
D) Intervene early

Question 23

Three of the following prosocial behaviors are typical for the age group. Which one is not typical?

A) Two-year-old Mohammed tries to comfort a crying infant by offering her the blanket he usually sleeps with at naptime.
B) Four-year-old Molly donates her favorite teddy bear to a toy collection for earthquake victims in Asia.
C) Ten-year-old Jack helps his mother organize materials for a school fundraiser.
D) Fourteen-year-old Rose volunteers to help serve Thanksgiving dinner at a homeless shelter because she thinks that doing so will make her more popular at school.

Question 24

Which one of the following is the best example of relational aggression?

A) Judy and Martha stop speaking to their friend Claudia when she starts dating a boy they don't like.
B) Rich accidentally drops his books on Marcie's foot.
C) When the school bully pushes Nolan's friend Jay, Nolan-who is normally a well-behaved student-gives the bully a black eye.
D) Amelia screams at her boyfriend when he cancels their date so that he can go drinking with his buddies.

Question 25

Three of the following are examples of prosocial behavior. Which one is not?

A) Ashley lends a shoulder to cry on when Sarah breaks up with her boyfriend.
B) Bruce shares his lunch with a classmate who forgot hers.
C) Carla and Suellen cooperate on their history project.
D) Dustin asks Morris for help on his homework.

Question 26

Anita's idea of how to interact with her classmates is to tease or insult them. Not surprisingly, she has few friends. Her teacher can best help her by:

A) Doing nothing, because her peers are the most effective teachers of what she needs to know
B) Asking the principal to move Anita to a different classroom
C) Encouraging classmates to reciprocate by teasing and insulting her, so she will know how such treatment feels
D) Encouraging her to act with consideration for the feelings of others

Question 27

Which one of the following statements is most accurate regarding the origins of prosocial and aggressive behavior?

A) Prosocial and aggressive behaviors are primarily determined by genetic heritage.
B) Prosocial and aggressive behaviors are primarily determined by environmental influences.
C) Prosocial and aggressive behaviors are influenced by both genetic heritage and environmental influences.
D) Prosocial behaviors spring from environmental influences while aggressive behaviors are largely genetic in origin.

Question 28

Three of the following statements describe typical behaviors of children who are predisposed to aggressive behavior. Which one is not a typical description?

A) Jordan pushes Lisa because he is sure that Lisa bumped into him on purpose.
B) Bobby bullies some of the smaller boys on the playground because he thinks that being a bully will make him more popular with the "cool" kids at school.
C) Derek wants to join the soccer game in progress on the playground, so he runs into the middle of the field and trips Nathan so he can get the ball.
D) Carrie throws her pencil at Jack because she thinks he is laughing at her but then immediately realizes her error and apologizes.

Question 29

Other things being equal, which one of the following children is most likely to be aggressive?

A) Alistair's father is a prominent politician known for his kind actions toward others. But Alistair resents the fact that Dad is seldom at home to be kind to him.
B) Bryce frequently sees his father engage in aggressive acts that enable him to get what he wants. But Bryce and his father are very close, and so Bryce is rarely the target of Dad's aggression.
C) Carl's parents are not terribly warm and affectionate. They help him with his homework when he requests assistance, but otherwise both Mom and Dad are usually preoccupied with work they've brought home from the office.
D) Donald and his younger sister live in a two-bedroom apartment with their mother. Because Mom cannot afford professional child care while she's at work, Donald must take care of his sister after the two of them get home from school each day.

Question 30

Three of the following students show warning signs of possible violent behavior. Which one does not?

A) Adam speaks about Osama bin Laden with considerable admiration.
B) Barbara rarely arrives at school before 10:00, despite repeated disciplinary actions by the assistant principal.
C) Cora becomes irate each time a peer unintentionally acts in a way that she perceives as being hostile or harmful.
D) After his girlfriend breaks up with him and begins dating Russell, Daniel asserts, "I'll make Russell sorry he was ever born!"

Question 31

Other things being equal, which one of the following children is most likely to behave prosocially toward a peer in need?

A) Megan sees her friend Abby fall off her bike after trying several foolish daredevil stunts.
B) Terry knows that Becky didn't study for an important quiz and so isn't surprised when Becky gets a low grade.
C) Malia sees several classmates tease Chris, who has speech problems as a result of muscular dystrophy.
D) Edie sees Dena insult Darcie in retaliation for Darcie's insults the day before.

Question 32

Which one of the following forms of aggression are you most apt to see in girls' behavior?

A) Pulling someone's hair
B) Poking a nearby classmate
C) Spreading a malicious rumor
D) Throwing a pencil at someone across the room

Question 33

Three of the following strategies should foster the development of students' social skills. Which strategy, although possibly beneficial in other ways, will not foster more appropriate social skills?

A) Ms. Ackerman has clear rules for her students which communicate that they must handle any conflicts in a non-violent manner.
B) When the school principal visits Mr. Brightman's fifth-grade class seeking volunteers to work at a school fundraiser on Friday afternoon, Mr. Brightman says to his students, "You have always been a very thoughtful and helpful class. How many of you can spare a couple of hours after school on Friday?"
C) During an important district-wide test, Ms. Chambers reminds her students to keep their eyes on their own papers.
D) When students in a cooperative learning group disagree about how best to approach an assigned task, Mr. Dunn helps them brainstorm possible ways of resolving their differences.

Question 34

Danny is a quiet 11-year-old who usually keeps to himself. Some of the other boys in class like to tease him when the teacher isn't looking because they know they can provoke him to fight, and then Danny will get in trouble. The type of aggression that Danny exhibits is called:

A) Proactive aggression
B) Prosocial aggression
C) Relational aggression
D) Reactive aggression

Question 35

Three of the following classroom strategies are likely to promote moral development. Which one, although possibly appropriate in certain situations, is unlikely to promote children's moral development?

A) Encouraging participation in service learning opportunities
B) Giving reasons why some behaviors are unacceptable
C) Making sure that students know who is "boss" in the classroom
D) Having students discuss moral issues related to classroom subject matter

Question 36

Which one of the following best illustrates a hostile attributional bias?

A) Howard thinks that other students will like him better if he projects a "tough guy" image.
B) When Isaac accidentally brushes by Jana in the hall, Jana assumes that Isaac is intentionally trying to hurt her.
C) Kenneth gets a thrill out of threatening children younger than himself and watching them squirm.
D) Linda spreads malicious gossip whenever she hears it; on some occasions, she starts unkind rumors herself.

Question 37

Three of the following are common roots of aggression and violence in schools. Which statement is least likely to be a cause of aggression and violence?

A) Revenge for stealing one's boyfriend or girlfriend
B) Persistence of concrete operational thinking into adolescence
C) Need to gain social status with peers
D) Poor perspective-taking skills

Question 38

Three of the following are accurate statements about differences between boys and girls. Which statement is not accurate?

A) Girls are more assertive than boys.
B) Boys' friendships involve more conflict than girls' friendships.
C) Boys are more physically aggressive than girls.
D) Girls value group harmony more than boys do.

Question 39

Children are likely to integrate moral values into their overall sense of self when they:

A) Become actively involved in service to others even before they reach adolescence
B) Participate in a just community, in which they discuss recent moral violations and to establish new rules
C) Discuss religions within the context of curricula about history, culture, or other academic topics
D) Understand that violations of moral standards are more serious than other transgressions

Question 40

Three of the following strategies should promote children's and adolescents' moral development. Which one probably will not?

A) Getting them involved in community service projects
B) Asking them to wrestle with difficult moral issues
C) Having them read short stories with moral messages
D) Explaining why certain behaviors are inappropriate

Question 41

Most families encourage children to act prosocially rather than aggressively in their day-to-day interactions with other people. But in some families, children learn to be aggressive and coercive in order to get what they need and want.
a. Give at least two different reasons why a young child in an aggressive family environment might show a great deal of antisocial behavior and relatively little prosocial behavior when he or she first begins kindergarten.
b. Describe at least two effects that such antisocial behaviors at school are likely to have on the child's social-emotional development.

Question 42

Which one of the following examples best depicts a student who has had training in peer mediation?

A) At the request of his teacher, Saul makes a check mark on an index card every time Rob speaks out in class without permission. At the end of each hour, Saul tells Rob how many check marks he has made.
B) Melinda and Forrest work together on their math homework, thinking carefully about how to do each problem and then taking it one step at a time.
C) LaVonda and Sally take turns reading excerpts from their textbook; they occasionally stop to reflect on how the new information relates to what they have previously learned.
D) When he sees two of his classmates arguing at lunch, Abbott joins them and encourages each of them to view the conflict from the other's perspective.

Question 43

Children's moral development is affected not only by their family and friends but also by their school experiences. As a teacher, whether or not you intend to, you will undoubtedly be teaching your students moral values and behaviors as well as academic content. With this in mind:
a. Describe the types of experiences that, according to researchers and theorists, are likely to facilitate or promote youngsters' moral development. Within your discussion, identify three different factors that are apt to be involved.
b. Identify a moral issue that may arise either within a specific content area you will be teaching or within the general classroom situation. Explain what you, as a teacher, might specifically do to promote moral growth as you deal with the moral issue you just identified.

Question 44

Schools and other group settings are important contexts in which children and adolescents acquire good interpersonal skills. In three separate paragraphs, describe three different things that teachers or other adults might do to help youngsters acquire interpersonal skills. For each strategy, give a concrete example of what an adult might do.
CHAPTER 14 ANSWER KEY
Multiple Choice Questions

Question 45

Three of the following statements are suggestions for establishing a nonviolent school environment. Which one is not?

A) Establish close working relationships with community agencies and families
B) Identify the warning signs of violent behaviors early and isolate those students
C) Provide a challenging and engaging curriculum
D) Involve students in decision making about school policies and procedures