Abstract
The question addressed is whether individuals operating at the Postconventional level of moral reasoning behave appreciatively different from those functioning at lower moral maturity levels. The types of behaviors reported in the literature are classified in five areas: resistance to temptation, resistance to social influence/authority, student activism, prosocial behavior, and antisocial behavior. The data suggest that evidence linking Kohlbergian moral development to differential behaviors is remote. However, the link between moral reasoning and behavior is not positively nonexistent. There remain several factors which probably affect the findings in all five behavioral categories, especially the sparsity of subjects at the principled level and the limited range of behaviors investigated.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Colby, A. (1978). Evolution of a moral-developmental theory. In Damon, W. (ed.),New Directions for Child Development: Moral Development, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.
Fodor, E. (1971). Resistance to social influence among adolescents as a function of level of moral development.J. Soc. Psychol. 85: 121–126.
Fodor, E. (1972a). Delinquency and susceptibility to social influence among adolescents as a function of level of moral development.J. Soc. Psychol. 86: 257–260.
Fodor, E. (1972b). Resistance to temptation, moral development, and perceptions of parental behavior among adolescent boys.J. Soc. Psychol. 88: 155–156.
Fodor, E. (1973). Moral development and parent behavior antecedents in adolescent psychopaths.J. Genet. Psychol. 122: 37–43.
Griffore, R., and Samuels, D. (1978). Moral judgment of residents of a maximum security correctional facility.J. Psychol. 100: 3–7.
Grim, P., Kohlberg, L., and White, S. (1968). Some relationships between conscience and attentional processes.J. Personal. Soc. Psychol. 8: 239–252.
Haan, N. (1975). Hypothetical and actual moral reasoning in a situation of civil disobedience.J. Personal. Soc. Psychol. 32: 255–270.
Haan, N., Smith, M., and Block, J. (1968). Moral reasoning of young adults: Political-social behavior, family background, and personality correlates.J. Personal. Soc. Psychol. 10: 183–201.
Hoffman, M. (1963). Childrearing practices and moral development: Generalizations from empirical research.Child Dev. 34: 295–318.
Keasey, C. (1971). Social participation as a factor in the moral development of preadolescents.Dev. Psychol. 5: 216–220.
Kohlberg, L. (1963). Moral development and identification. In Stevens, H. W. (ed.),Child Psychology: 62nd Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education, University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Kohlberg, L. (1971). From is to ought: How to commit the naturalistic fallacy and get away with it in the study of moral development. In Mischel, T. (ed.),Cognitive Development and Epistemology, Academic Press, New York.
Kohlberg, L. (1978). Revisions in the theory and practice of moral development. In Damon, W. (ed.),New Directions for Child Development: Moral Development, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.
Kohlberg, L., and Hersh, R. (1977). Moral development: A review of the theory.Theory into Practice 16: 53–59.
Kohlberg, L., and Turiel, E. (1971). Moral development and moral education. In Lesser, G., (ed.),Moral Development and Moral Education, Scott, Foresman, Chicago.
Krebs, R., and Kohlberg, L. (1973). Moral judgment and ego controls as determinants of resistance to cheating. Unpublished manuscript. (Available from L. Kohlberg, Laboratory of Human Development, Roy E. Larsen Hall, Appian Way, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.)
Kupfersmid, J. (1975). The relationship between moral maturity and selected characteristics of mental health among young adults (Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University, 1975).Disse. Abst. Int. 36: 3169A-4081A. (University Microfilms No. 75-27, 816.)
Leming, J. (1974). Moral reasoning, sense of control, and social-political activism among adolescents.Adolescence 9: 507–528.
Martin, R., Shafto, M., and Van Deinse, W. (1977). The reliability, validity, and design of the Defining Issues Test.Dev. Psychol. 13: 460–468.
Podd, M. (1972). Ego identity status and morality: The relationship between two developmental constructs.Dev. Psychol. 6: 497–507.
Power, C., and Reimer, J. (1978). Moral atmosphere: An educational bridge between moral judgment and action. In Damon, W. (ed.),New Directions for Child Development: Moral Development, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.
Prentice, N., and Jurkovic, G. (1973). Dimensions of moral judgment interaction in delinquent and nondelinquent adolescents and their mothers.Proc. 81st Ann. Conven. Am. Psychol. Assoc., pp. 377–378.
Reimer, J. (1977). A structural theory of moral development.Theory into Practice 16: 60–66.
Saltzstein, H., Diamond, R., and Belenky, M. (1972). Moral judgment level and conformity behavior.Dev. Psychol. 7: 327–336.
Santrock, J. (1975). Moral structure: The interrelations of moral behavior, moral judgment, and moral affect.J. Genet. Psychol. 127: 201–213.
Schwartz, S., Feldman, K., Brown, M., and Heingartner, A. (1969). Some personality correlates of conduct in two situations of moral conflict.J. Personal. 37: 41–57.
Tracy, J., and Cross, H. (1973). Antecedents of shift in moral judgment.J. Personal. Soc. Psychol. 26: 238–244.
Turiel, E. (1966). An experimental test of the sequentiality of developmental stages in the child's moral judgment.J. Personal. Soc. Psychol. 3: 611–618.
Turiel, E., and Rothman, G. (1972). The influence of reasoning on behavioral choices at different stages of moral development.Child. Dev. 43: 741–756.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Received Ph.D. from Kent State University. Current inrerests are primary prevention and adolescent psychopathology.
Received Ph.D. from Western Reserve University. Current interest is development of a theory of personality.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kupfersmid, J.H., Wonderly, D.M. Moral maturity and behavior: Failure to find a link. J Youth Adolescence 9, 249–261 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02088469
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02088469