In Kohlberg's theory, the stage most commonly achieved by adolescents is part of which level?

In Kohlberg's theory, the stage most commonly achieved by adolescents is part of which level?

• A. Preconventional Morality (obedience and punishment).
• B. Conventional Morality (the level of conforming to rules and social expectations).
• C. Postconventional Morality (principled reasoning).
• D. Naive Hedonism.

Answer: (B)

In Kohlberg's model, adolescent moral reasoning typically sits in a level where judgments are based on social rules and the expectations of others. This is the conventional level, which includes the drive to conform to rules and to uphold social duties so others see you as a good person and so society functions smoothly. During adolescence, the focus is often on gaining peer approval and following authority to maintain social order, which maps onto the conventional patterns (seeing morality as what is right because it is approved by others and because it preserves norms and duties).

The other options don’t fit this typical pattern. Obedience and punishment as the guiding idea belong to the earlier, preconventional level, where self-interest and avoidance of punishment drive moral choices. Principled, abstract ethics describe the postconventional level, which tends to develop later and in fewer people. Naive Hedonism isn’t a stage in Kohlberg’s framework either, since it centers on pleasure-seeking rather than moral reasoning about social norms or duties.