Adolescence and Moral Development

Two major reasons exist for studying moral development during adolescence. First, cognitive changes that occur during adolescence are related to moral development. Formal operational thinking allows the adolescent to interpret the social environment in new and different ways. Second, because adolescents are capable of devising new and idealistic social orders to which all are expected to conform, we may view them as moral philosophers. A number of researchers have noted other changes in moral development …

…parent. Society ensures its survival through this identification process by imposing its cultural standards, as represented by the parents' behaviors, attitudes, aspirations, on the individual. Although the exact basis is unclear, Freud's theorizing has stimulated considerable research into the effects of parental behavior on the child's moral development. The major research concerns have centered on moral character , the consistency of moral behavior across situations, and the role of parental disciplinary techniques in shaping moral behavior.