How Does the Level of Moral Development Influence Motivation?
As we grow and mature intellectually, socially and emotionally, we also experience changes in our moral development. Lawrence Kohlberg, an eminent psychologist, delineated six stages of moral development that reflect the way people view themselves in relation to the world around them. These stages impact our decision making as well as our motivation.
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Stage One
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In the first stage of moral development, children respond to rules and punishment, but do not have an internal sense of moral values. This stage is said to be "preconventional" or "premoral." Children are motivated by avoidance of punishment or achievement of rewards for their actions. They also comply with rules if they feel the rule enforcer is physically powerful. To motivate someone in this stage, offering something pleasant or a way to avoid something unpleasant is your best bet.
Stage Two
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The second stage of Kohlberg's moral development is also considered "preconventional," however, there is a sense of working with others for mutual benefit. The idea of an exchange of favors to satisfy individual needs is a driving force. Individuals in this stage are motivated by having needs met. Some are viewed in terms of how useful they can be to help achieve those needs. To motivate someone at this stage, you will need to show them how it will be in their own best interest and how they will benefit.
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Stage Three
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The first of two conventional stages, this stage is focused on being oriented towards a good boy or good girl role. The approval of others is important, as is fitting normal conventional roles. There is an emphasis on focusing on the intentions of an action rather than its consequences. Children in this stage are motivated by a desire for approval or pleasing others. Often you can motivate someone in this stage by offering praise and recognition. Teachers and parents use sticker charts or stars as an effective motivational tool.
Stage Four
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In stage four, conventional thinking also reigns supreme, but rather than just seeking personal approval, children are starting to have respect for authority and social conventions in their own right. They see a need for structure and order, and they can be motivated by the idea of responsibility or duty. A distinction is made between acting on an impulse to be nice to others versus acting out of a sense of obligation to follow rules. Fairness, reward for "good" acts and punishment for "bad" acts are essential. You can motivate someone in this stage by appealing to a sense of duty and justice.
Stage Five
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In stage five, individuals begin to internalize social rules and laws and allow those to define what is moral and right. In this stage, if there is a conflict between what is good for an individual or what is legal, the moral action is equal to the legal action. A classic moral dilemma that exemplifies this stage is that of a man who needs medicine for his family but has no money. He breaks into a pharmacy to get the medicine to save his family. Individuals in stage five will see this act as immoral, as it does not conform with the established rules of law and order, even if they have great sympathy for the man and his plight. To motivate someone in this stage of moral development, appeal to law and social rules.
Stage Six
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The final stage in Kohlberg's hierarchy is the stage of individual principles of conscience. Someone at this level of moral development is not only motivated by social norms, conventions and laws, but by a higher, internalized sense of right and wrong. The conscience becomes the primary motivating agent, and the individual has a clear, logical, consistent set of beliefs and morals. A person in this stage might act in accordance with the conscience regardless of the reactions of those around him. This person wouldn't fear social consequences, but rather seeks to avoid guilt and self-condemnation for failing to live up to his principles. Individuals in this stage are self-motivated; you can try to appeal to their conscience if you are seeking to motivate them to a specific action.
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References
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