Saturday, 13 July 2013

A survival guide to psychology.

Piaget and Kohlberg's theories (story ideas)


Aspects of Morality

Moral Story – Piaget

Little Johnny went into the kitchen to steal some jam. When he was reaching up to get the jam jar, he knocked a cup off the table and broke it. Little Billy was trying to help his mum and carried the tea tray full of cups and saucers back into the kitchen. On his way there he tripped and all the cups and saucers got broken.

Piaget asked his participants:

-         Which child was the naughtiest?

-         Which child should be punished more?

-         Why?

Moral Dilemma - Kohlberg

Heinz's wife was dying of cancer. Doctors said a new drug might save her. The drug had been discovered by a pharmacist in Heinz's town but he was charging ten times more than what it cost him to make. Heinz couldn't afford to buy the drug, so he asked friends and relatives to lend him the money. But he only raised half the money needed. He told the pharmacist his wife was dying and asked him to sell the drug cheaper, or asked if he could pay the rest of the money later. The pharmacist said no, as he had discovered the drug and wanted to make money out of it. Heinz then became so desperate he broke into the pharmacy and stole some of the drug.

Kohlberg then asked participants:

- Should Heinz have stolen the drug?

- Would it change anything if Heinz did not love his wife?

- What if the person dying was a stranger, would it make any difference?