🧱 Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development: A Step-by-Step Breakdown for the MCAT

Lawrence Kohlberg proposed that moral reasoning progresses through a series of structured stages as a person matures. These stages reflect how we make ethical decisions, starting from simple fear of punishment to complex ethical principles.

🎯 On the MCAT, this is tested under psychology/sociology behavior and development. Be ready to match examples to stages!

📚 The 6 Stages Explained

Level	Stage	Age Range	Focus
Pre-Conventional	1. Avoiding Punishment	3–7 years	Obeying rules to avoid punishment
	2. Self-Interest	3–7 years	Seeking personal gain or reward
Conventional	3. Good Boy/Good Girl	8–13 years	Gaining approval and being seen as “good”
	4. Law and Order	8–13 years	Following rules for order and duty
Post-Conventional	5. Social Contract	Adulthood	Understanding rules can be flexible or changed
	6. Universal Ethical Principles	Adulthood	Acting based on internal moral principles

🧪 MCAT Example Question

Scenario:
A student refuses to cheat because it would violate their own code of honesty — even if they wouldn’t get caught.
What stage is this?
✅ Stage 6: Principled Morality (Post-Conventional)

🔍 Mnemonic

“A Silly Good Lawyer Says Please”

Avoid Punishment

Self-Interest

Good Girl/Good Boy

Law & Order

Social Contract

Principle

📘 Conclusion

Kohlberg’s theory isn’t just for acing MCAT questions — it helps explain how ethical reasoning grows with age, experience, and empathy. Knowing how to identify these stages gives you an edge on passage-based and discrete psych/soc questions.

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