Kohlberg's Lifespan Theory: Stages, Evaluation and Importance

This essay provides an overview of Lawrence Kohlberg's lifespan theory of moral development, which spans from infancy to adulthood. The theory is divided into three main stages: preconventional morality (infancy and childhood), conventional morality (teenage and early adulthood), and postconventional morality (adulthood and old age). Each stage is further broken down into substages that reflect the individual's moral reasoning and decision-making processes. The essay evaluates the importance of Kohlberg's theory in the emergence of moral psychology and its influence on moral reasoning and behavior across different life stages. It concludes that Kohlberg's theory is valuable for understanding the development of moral behavior and decision-making throughout the lifespan.

Lifespan Theory

Table of Contents
• Introductions
• Kohlberg’s Psychological Theory
• Importance of Kohlberg’s Theory of Psychology
• Kohlberg’s Theory to a specific Life Stage
• Evaluation of Kohlberg’s Theory
• Conclusion
• References

Introduction
• Life span is basically the period of time between the death and birth of an
organism. In relation to that lifespan development theory is basically related
to the study of individual development or onto genesis from conception to
death.

Kohlberg’s Psychological Theory
• In regards to the lifespan theory, it is a main aspect that begins in the
early development stage and continue till adulthood.
• This lifespan theory was developed by Psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg.
• As per the viewpoint of Kohlberg, an progression of individual capacity for the
Person before the age of 9 as the pre conventional morality.

Kohlberg’s Theory to specific Life Stages
Kohlberg's lifespan theory is broken down into three primary stages according
to the different life stages of an individual.
Preconvention morality (Infant
and childhood) is considered as the
initial phase of moral development
that starts during the infancy and
lasts around the age of 9 till the age
of childhood.
• Punishment and Obedience
• Exchange and individualism

Continue
Conventional morality (Teenage and early adults):
This phase of Kohlberg's Lifespan developing morality is
done through the acceptance of societal rules by the
teenagers and adults.
• Creating interpersonal relations
• Social order maintenance
Post conventional morality (Adulthood and old-age):
At this level of psychological development an individual
develops a clear knowing about the principles of
morality.
• Individual rights and Social Contract
• Principles of Universal Acceptability

Evaluation of Kohlberg’s Theory
Kohlberg’s Lifespan Theory of psychological development has an important
role in the emergence of moral psychology. There is a continuous exploration
in regards to this moral reasoning and it creates better changes throughout the
different life stages. With the help of this theory the children, teenagers,
adolescents and adults make moral choices and moral thinking that will
influence their behaviours and decisions in the society.

Conclusion
It has been concluded from the above presentation that Kohlberg's Lifespan
Theory is very helpful in developing the moral behaviour among the children
from very beginning of their life till their adulthood for making correct
behaviours, decisions and actions. It has been obtained from the above report
that Kohlberg's Lifespan Theory is very important for various purposes like the
emergence of the field of moral psychology and moral reasoning among the
people. Moreover, it has been understood that Kohlberg's Lifespan Theory is
broken into three primary phases that provides the moral development of an
individual through various life stages starting from infant till adulthood.
Finally, Kohlberg's Lifespan Theory of Moral Development has been evaluated
and shows its importance and critics in today's world.

References
• Goldschmidt, L., and et. al., 2021. A review of Kohlberg’s theory and its
applicability in the South African context through the lens of early
childhood development and violence. Early Child Development and
Care, 191(7-8), pp.1066-1078.
• Mathes, E.W., 2021. An evolutionary perspective on Kohlberg’s theory of
moral development. Current Psychology, 40(8), pp.3908-3921.
• Sanders, C.E., 2020. Lawrence Kohlberg’s stages of moral development
psychology. Encyclopedia Britannica.