Which statement accurately reflects a key feature of Kohlberg's theory?

Which statement accurately reflects a key feature of Kohlberg's theory?

• A. Moral development progresses in relation to cognitive development.
• B. A person's ability to make moral judgments develops over a period of time.
• C. The theory provides a framework for understanding how individuals determine a moral code to guide their behavior.
• D. In stage 2, the child conforms to rules to obtain rewards or have favors returned.

Answer: (C)

Kohlberg's theory centers on how people justify morally right actions—the reasoning behind behavior—and it offers a framework for understanding how someone comes to determine a moral code to guide their conduct. The idea is that moral development happens as reasoning becomes more sophisticated, moving from concrete, self-centered calculations to broader, principled considerations (like social contracts and universal ethical principles). This makes the chosen statement the best description: it captures that the theory provides a structure for understanding how individuals construct and rely on a moral code to guide behavior. The other options touch on related ideas—such as a link to cognitive development, or the idea that moral judgments develop over time, or a description of a specific stage—but they don't convey the overarching purpose of Kohlberg's framework as clearly.

Kohlberg's theory centers on how people justify morally right actions—the reasoning behind behavior—and it offers a framework for understanding how someone comes to determine a moral code to guide their conduct. The idea is that moral development happens as reasoning becomes more sophisticated, moving from concrete, self-centered calculations to broader, principled considerations (like social contracts and universal ethical principles).

This makes the chosen statement the best description: it captures that the theory provides a structure for understanding how individuals construct and rely on a moral code to guide behavior. The other options touch on related ideas—such as a link to cognitive development, or the idea that moral judgments develop over time, or a description of a specific stage—but they don't convey the overarching purpose of Kohlberg's framework as clearly.