Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Morality and Conduct Disorders

  • Chapter
Handbook of Developmental Psychopathology

Abstract

Conduct disturbances, as indicated by temper tantrums, aggression, destructiveness, defiance, and inconsiderate or uncooperative behavior, constitute one of the most frequent causes of concern regarding children’s behavior (Rutter & Garmezy, 1983), and there has been long-standing speculation that such behavior may be related to an inadequacy in such children’s capacity to make moral judgments. Piaget (1932) initially suggested that developmental analysis of “difficult children,” “youthful offenders,” and “young ruffians” might be fruitful. Several decades later, Anthony (1956) hypothesized that children who repeatedly or seriously violate societal laws may suffer developmental delays in moral reasoning (Jurkovic, 1980). Since then, numerous studies have examined the developmental maturity of moral reasoning among behavioral disordered children.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • American Psychiatric Association. (1987). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (3rd ed., rev.). Washington, DC: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anthony, E. J. (1956). The significance of Jean Piaget for child psychiatry. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 29, 790–794.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arbuthnot, J., & Gordon, D. A. (1986). Behavioral and cognitive effects of a moral reasoning development intervention for high-risk behavior-disordered adolescents. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54, 208–216.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bear, G., & Richards, H. C. (1981). Moral reasoning and conduct problems in the classroom. Journal of Educational Psychology, 73, 644–670.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berkowitz, M., &Nucci, L. (March, 1986). What’s moral about conventional moral reasoning? Paper presented at the first biennial meeting of the Society for Research on Adolescence, Madison, WI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Betke, M. A. (1944). Defective moral reasoning and delinquency: A psychological study. Catholic University of America Studies in Psychology and Psychiatry, 6, (4), 95.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blasi, A. (1980). Bridging moral cognition and moral action: A critical review of the literature. Psychological Bulletin, 88, 1–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blatt, J., & Kohlberg, L. (1975). The effects of classroom moral discussion upon children’s level of moral judgment. Journal of Moral Education, 4, 129–161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Campagna, A. F. & Harter, S. (1975). Moral judgment in sociopathic and normal children. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 31, 199–205.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cleckley, H. (1955). The mask of sanity. St. Louis, MO: Mosby.

    Google Scholar 

  • Colby, A. (1978). Evolution of a moral-developmental theory. In W. Damon (Ed.), New directions in child development: Moral development (pp. 89–104). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cowie, J., Cowie, V., & Slater, E. (1968). Delinquency in girls. New York: Heineman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Damon, W. (1977). The social world of the child. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Damon, W. (1980). Patterns of change in children’s social reasoning: A two-year longitudinal study. Child Development, 51, 1010–1017.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eisikovits, Z., & Sagi, A. (1982). Moral development and discipline encounter in delinquent and nondelinquent adolescents. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 11, 217–230.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Emler, N. P., Heather, N., & Winton, M. (1978). Delinquency and the development of moral reasoning. British Journal of Social Clinical Psychology, 17, 325–331.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eshel, Y., Kugelmass, S., & Breznitz, S. (1968). Moral judgment of lower-class delinquents. British Journal of Criminology, 8, 69–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fleetwood, R. S., & Parish, T. S. (1976). Relationship between moral development test scores of juvenile delinquents and their inclusion in a moral dilemma discussion group. Psychological Reports, 39, 1075–1080.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fodor, E. (1972). Delinquency and susceptibility to social influence among adolescents as a function of level of moral development. Journal of Social Psychology, 86, 257–260.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fodor, E. (1973). Moral development and parent behavior antecedents in adolescent psychopaths. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 122, 37–43.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gavaghan, M. P., Arnold, K. D., & Gibbs, J. C. (1983). Moral judgment in delinquents and nondelinquents: Recognition versus production measures. Journal of Psychology, 114, 267–274.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gibbs, J. C., Arnold, K. D., Morgan, R. L., Schwartz, E. S., Gavaghan, M. P., & Tappan, M. B. (1984). Construction and validation of a multiple-choice measure of moral reasoning. Child Development, 55, 527–536.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gibbs, J. C., Arnold, K. D., Ahlborn, H. H., & Cheesman, F. L. (1984). Facilitation of sociomoral reasoning in delinquents. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 52, 37–45.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hains, A. A. (1984). Variables in social cognitive development: Moral judgment, role-taking, cognitive processes, and self-concept in delinquents and nondelinquents. Journal of Early Adolescence, 4, 65–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hains, A. A. & Miller, D. (1980). Moral and cognitive development in delinquent and nondelinquent children and adolescents. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 137, 21–35.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hains, A. A., & Ryan, E. B. (1983). The development of social cognitive processes among juvenile delinquents and nondelinquent peers. Child Development, 54, 1536–1544.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hanson, R., & Mullis, R. L. (1984). Moral reasoning in offender and nonoffender youth. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 144, 295–296.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Haviland, J. M. (1977). The punitive beliefs and behaviors of adolescent delinquent boys. Developmental Psychology, 13, 672–678.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hawk, S. S., & Peterson, R. A. (1974). Do MMPI Psychopathic Deviancy Scores reflect psychopathic deviancy or just deviancy? Journal of Personality Assessment, 38, 362–368.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hewitt, L. E., & Jenkins, R. L. (1946). Fundamental patterns of maladjustment: The dynamics of their origin. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hickey, J. E. (1972). The effects of guided moral discussion upon youthful offenders’ level of moral judgment. Dissertation Abstracts International, 33, 1551 A. (University Microfilms No. 72–25, 438)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hudgins, W., & Prentice, N. M. (1973). Moral judgment in delinquent and nondelinquent adolescents and their mothers. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 82, 145–152.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Irwin, D. M., & Moore, S. G. (1971). The young child’s understanding of social justice. Developmental Psychology, 5, 406–410.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jenkins, R. L. (1973). Behavior disorders of childhood and adolescence. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jennings, W. S., & Kohlberg, L. (1983). Effects of a just community programme on the moral development of youthful offenders. Journal of Moral Education, 12, 33–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jurkovic, G. J. (1976). The relationship of moral and cognitive development to dimensions of juvenile delinquency. Dissertation Abstracts international, 36, 5262B. (University Microfilms No. 76–8054).

    Google Scholar 

  • Jurkovic, G. J. (1980). The juvenile delinquent as a moral philosopher: A structural-developmental perspective. Psychological Bulletin, 88, 709–727.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jurkovic, G. J., & Prentice, N. M. (1974). Dimensions of moral interaction and moral judgment in delinquent and nondelinquent families. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 42, 256–262.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jurkovic, G. J., & Prentice, N. M. (1977). Relation of moral and cognitive development to dimensions of juvenile delinquency. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 86, 414–420.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kantner, J. E. (1976). The relationship between moral judgment and personality variables in adult offenders. Dissertation Abstracts International, 36, 5262B–5263B.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keasey, C. B. (1979). Children’s developing awareness and usage of intentionality and motive. In C. B. Keasey (Ed.), 1977 Nebraska Symposium on Motivation (Vol. 25, pp. 219–260). Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohlberg, L. (1958). The development of modes of moral thinking and choice in the years 10 to 16. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohlberg, L. (1969). Stage and sequence. In D. Goslin (Ed.), Handbook of socialization theory and research (pp. 347–480). New York: Rand McNally.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohlberg, L. (1978a). The cognitive developmental approach to behavior disorders: A study of the development of moral reasoning in delinquents. In G. Serban (Ed.), Cognitive defects in the development of mental illness. New York: Brunner/Mazel.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohlberg, L. (1978b). Revisions in the theory and practice of moral development. In W. Damon (Ed.), New directions in child development: Moral development (pp. 83–88). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohlberg, L., Scharf, P., & Hickey, J. (1973). The justice structure of prisons: A theory and an intervention. Prison Journal, 51, 3–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kurtines, W., &Greif, E. B. (1974). The development of moral thought: Review and evaluation of Kohlberg’s approach. Psychological Bulletin, 81, 453–470.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, M., & Prentice, N. M. (1988). Interrelations of empathy, cognition, and moral reasoning with dimensions of juvenile delinquency. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 16, 127–139.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Loevinger, J., & Wessler, R. (1970). Measuring ego development (Vols. 1 & 2). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCann, D. C. & Prentice, N. M. (1973). The facilitating effects of money and moral set on the moral judgment of adolescent delinquents. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 82, 81–84.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McColgan, E. B., Rest, J. R., & Pruitt, D. B. (1983). Moral judgment and antisocial behavior in early adolescence. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 4, 189–199.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, C. K., Zumoff, L., & Stephens, B. (1974). A comparison of reasoning skills and moral judgments in delinquent, retarded, and normal adolescent girls. Journal of Psychology, 86, 261–268.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Niles, W. J. (1986). Effects of a moral development discussion group on delinquent and predelinquent boys. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 33, 45–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nucci, L., & Herman, S. (1982). Behavioral disordered children’s conceptions of moral, conventional, and personal issues. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 10, 411–426.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Petronio, R. J. (1980). The moral maturity of repeater delinquents. Youth and Society, 12, 51–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Piaget, J. (1932). The moral judgment of the child. Glencoe, IL: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piaget, J. (1960). The child’s conception of the world. Glencoe, IL: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prentice, N. M. (1972). The influence of live and symbolic modeling on promoting moral judgment of adolescent delinquents. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 80, 157–161.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Quay, H. C. (1964). Dimensions of personality in delinquent boys as inferred from factor analysis of case history data. Child Development, 35, 479–484.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Quay, H. C. (1979). Classification. In H. C. Quay & J. S. Werry (Eds.), Psychopathological disorders of childhood (2nd ed., pp. 1–42). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rest, J. R. (1979). Development in judging moral issues. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rest, J. R. (1983). Morality. In J. H. Flavell & E. Markman (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 3: Cognitive development (pp. 556–629). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rest, J. R., Cooper, D., Coder, R., Masanz, J., & Anderson, D. (1974). Judging the important issues in moral dilemmas: An objective measure of development. Developmental Psychology, 10, 490–501.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robins, L. (1966). Deviant children grown up. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenkoetter, L. I., Landman, S., & Mazak, S. G., Jr. (1980). Use of moral discussion as an intervention with delinquents. Psychological Reports, 46, 91–94.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ruma, E. H. (1967). Conscience development in delinquents and non-delinquents: The relationship between moral judgment, guilt, and behavior. Dissertation Abstracts International, 28, 2631B. (University Microfilms No. 67–16, 331)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruma, E. H., & Mosher, D. (1967). Relationship between moral judgment and guilt in delinquent boys. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 72, 122–127.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M., & Garmezy, N. (1983). Developmental psycho-pathology. In E. M. Hetherington (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 4. Socialization, personality, and social development (pp. 775–912). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, M. E. (1985). Anxiety, moral development and perception of behavioral consequences in delinquent and nondelinquent adolescents (Doctoral dissertation, University of Nebraska, 1984). Dissertation Abstracts International, 46, 349B.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sagi, A. & Eisikovits, Z. (1981). Juvenile delinquency and moral development. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 8, 79–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmidlin, S. S. (1977). Moral judgment and delinquency: The effect of institutionalization and peer pressure (Doctoral Dissertation, Univerity of Florida). Dissertation Abstracts International, 37, 3630B.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, L. E. (1985). Social maturity development in juvenile delinquents through training in moral judgment (Doctoral Dissertation, Auburn University, 1985). Dissertation Abstracts International, 46, 662B.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turiel, E. (1975). The development of social concepts: Mores, customs, and conventions. In D. J. DePalma & J. M. Foley (Eds.), Moral development: Current theory and research (pp. 7–38). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turiel, E. (1979). Distinct conceptual and developmental domains: Morality and social convention. In C. B. Keasey (Ed.), 1977 Nebraska Symposium on Motivation (pp. 77–116). Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turiel, E. (1983). The development of social knowledge: Morality and convention. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turiel, E., & Davidson, P. (1986). Heterogeneity, inconsistency, and asynchrony in the development of cognitive structures. In I. Levin (Ed.), Stage and structure (pp. 106–143). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ventis, W. L. (1976, March). Moral development in delinquent and nondelinquent males and its enhancement. Paper presented at the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, New Orleans.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ventis, W. L. (1980, March). The effect of role-taking ability on delinquents’ response to moral education. Paper presented at the 26th Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Education and Human Development, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, 14627, USA

    Judith G. Smetana

Authors
  1. Judith G. Smetana
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA

    Michael Lewis

  2. Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    Suzanne M. Miller

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1990 Plenum Press, New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Smetana, J.G. (1990). Morality and Conduct Disorders. In: Lewis, M., Miller, S.M. (eds) Handbook of Developmental Psychopathology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-7142-1_13

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-7142-1_13

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4615-7144-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-7142-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation