Moral and Cognitive Development

My parents taught me the value of money at a young age; furthermore, they wanted me to learn that if I wanted something, I would have to work hard for it. I started doing simple chores around the house, and when I got old enough, I began babysitting. Beginning in the sixth grade, I would watch after my little sister while my parents were at work or running errands. I loved taking care of her, so my parents put me through a babysitting course. I soon started to babysit kids in my neighborhood. I became particularly close with one family who had two little girls. When I first met them, the younger girl, Rachel, was only fourteen months old and the oldest, Katie, was three. I babysat these girls for over ten years; additionally, now they no longer need a babysitter, for they are about the age I was when I started to babysit them. It has been so wonderful watching these young ladies grow up. After lectures and reading chapter five of our textbook, I was able to relate Piaget’s theory of cognitive development and Kohlberg’s theory of moral development to Katie and Rachel.

            Rachel was in Piaget’s sensorimotor stage when I started taking care of her. She would use her senses to try and understand the world around her, such as grabbing at everything, sucking on toys, and sticking her hands in any food I would serve her. Katie, on the other hand, was well into the preoperational stage. She was able to talk and communicate what she wanted and showed signs of language development and use of symbols. Katie displayed egocentrism where everything she did and said was about herself. This is normal for this stage of development because children are still trying to understand their own point of view and have difficulty seeing others’ points of view. Eventually, Rachel followed Katie into this stage of development, and Katie progressed to the concrete operational stage. She began to think logically and had a better understanding of abstract concepts. She was able to attach more than one symbol to events or objects. Currently, Rachel, age 12, and Katie, age 14, are demonstrating the formal operational stage. They are able to think critically and abstractly, along with having the ability to problem solve and think hypothetically.

            In addition to Piaget’s stages of development, I am able to relate Kohlberg’s theory of moral development to these girls as well. When I first met them, Katie and Rachel were both in the preconventional level of development. They only thought about “what feels good to me,” and obeyed rules just to avoid punishment. In this stage, they didn’t worry too much about the needs of others and mostly focused on their own wants and needs. At the moment, both girls are starting to enter the conventional level of moral development. The girls, especially Katie, are losing their selfishness. They know right from wrong by pleasing their parents and conforming to cultural norms. They have not yet entered the postconventional level; however, not everyone achieves this level of moral development. I am eager to see how these two girls continue to develop and mature. 

External Websites

Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development

http://psychology.about.com/od/piagetstheory/a/keyconcepts.htm 

Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development

http://psychology.about.com/od/developmentalpsychology/a/kohlberg.htm