Examination for Professional Practice of Psychology (EPPP) Practice Test

A young girl cleans her room for her mother's approval. According to Kohlberg, she is in which stage of moral development?

1. Instrumental

2. Conventional

3. Postconventional

4. Preconventional

The correct answer is: Conventional

The correct identification of the young girl’s behavior aligns with the conventional stage of Kohlberg's moral development theory. At this stage, individuals are primarily motivated by the desire to uphold societal standards and gain approval from others. The girl's action of cleaning her room specifically for her mother's approval demonstrates her concern for pleasing her parent and conforming to societal expectations regarding responsibility and orderliness. In the conventional stage, the individual begins to internalize the moral standards of valued adult role models, which leads them to emphasize conformity and loyalty to social norms. This contrasts with other stages where motivations are different; for instance, the preconventional stage is characterized by self-interest and hedonism, while the postconventional stage involves a more abstract reasoning about moral principles that may conflict with societal rules. The instrumental stage often involves decisions made based on individual needs and the consequences of actions rather than a sense of duty to others. In this context, the young girl's motivation reflects the characteristics of moral reasoning specific to the conventional level.