My Crazy Thoughts
my thoughts on various topics.

So today in my developmental class we talked about moral reasoning and development in young children. So anyway, this is a question posed to young children to determine what stage of moral reasoning they are in.

Who is naughtier?

Johnny's mom calls him to dinner. There is a chair next to the kitchen door with 15 glasses on it, Johnny doesn't know it is there so when he opens the door the chair turns over and all of the glasses break.

When Paul's mom is not home he climbs up on the counter and reaches into the top cabinet for the jelly. When he does this he tips over one glass and it breaks


So, who is naughtier? Older children answer Paul, because they know that Johnny didn't know about the chair and the glasses and he therefore didn't mean to knock over the glasses. Younger children choose Johnny because they supposedly don't look at intentions they look at the final outcome. And in the end Johnny broke more glasses.


That's all fine and dandy but my question is, why was Paul left at home alone, he's not even tall enough to reach the top cupboard without climbing on the counter? I think that the answer is Paul's mom. What do you think?


(The names have been changed because I can't remember them from class. And the wording makes me think it's an old example anyway. Naughtier.)

posted by Malissa at 1:05 PM