Which Kohlberg stage involves seeking the approval of one's immediate group?

Which Kohlberg stage involves seeking the approval of one's immediate group?

• A. Good boy-nice girl orientation
• B. Society-maintaining orientation
• C. Instrumental relativist orientation
• D. Universal ethical principle orientation

Answer: (A)

In Kohlberg’s framework, this focuses on how people reason about right and wrong in terms of their relationships with others. The stage where someone aims to please and gain approval from their immediate group—peers, family, close friends—and fears disapproval is the Good boy-nice girl orientation. Here, moral actions are guided by wanting to be seen as a “good,” caring person in the eyes of others and to maintain harmony and acceptance within one’s circles. This contrasts with instrumental relativist orientation, which centers on self-interest and reciprocity rather than pleasing others; society-maintaining orientation, which emphasizes obeying laws and fulfilling duties to keep social order; and universal ethical principle orientation, which relies on abstract, principled reasoning about universal rights.

In Kohlberg’s framework, this focuses on how people reason about right and wrong in terms of their relationships with others. The stage where someone aims to please and gain approval from their immediate group—peers, family, close friends—and fears disapproval is the Good boy-nice girl orientation. Here, moral actions are guided by wanting to be seen as a “good,” caring person in the eyes of others and to maintain harmony and acceptance within one’s circles.

This contrasts with instrumental relativist orientation, which centers on self-interest and reciprocity rather than pleasing others; society-maintaining orientation, which emphasizes obeying laws and fulfilling duties to keep social order; and universal ethical principle orientation, which relies on abstract, principled reasoning about universal rights.