What Age Does Moral Development Start

Children’s experiences at home, the environment around them, and their physical, cognitive, emotional, and social skills influence their developing sense of right vs. wrong. Between the ages of 2 and 5, many children start to show morally-based behaviors and beliefs.

What is the first stage of moral development?

Stage 1 (Obedience and Punishment): The earliest stages of moral development, obedience and punishment are especially common in young children, but adults are also capable of expressing this type of reasoning. According to Kohlberg, people at this stage see rules as fixed and absolute.

What is Piaget's first stage of moral development?

After the age of two, up to the age of seven, children are in the first stage of Piaget’s moral development, where they are very rigid in their beliefs of moral concepts. Piaget termed this first stage the “Morality of Constraint” .

Chloe Bennett

Chloe Bennett

Culture, Media & Entertainment Columnist

Chloe Bennett explores the intersection of pop culture, streaming entertainment, digital trends, and contemporary lifestyle. Her weekly commentary reaches thousands of culture enthusiasts.

Share this article
Twitter Facebook Pinterest