Honesty and altruism among preadolescents were evaluated by situational tests and by like-sex peers' sociometric nominations. Self-concept tests measuring self-esteem and adjustment to parents and peers were also administered, and mothers responded to Q sorts about child rearing. There were marked sex differences in the correlates of two kinds of moral behavior. Girls who were honest (both indexes) and altruistic (according to peers' ratings) had warm, intimate interactions with their mothers, and high selfesteem. Boys' honesty (situational) was negatively correlated with gratifying relationships with parents and peers and with self-esteem, but altruism was associated with good personal ego strength. These sex differences are interpreted in terms of socialization and sex typing.

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The moral opinions and stage of reasoning of preadolescents (63 boys and 63 girls) at Kohlberg's first three stages of moral development were modified by exposure to various conflict situations. Opinion and reasoning change were found to be independent processes. The small amount of upward reasoning change induced is consistent with the cognitive-developmental view that radical changes in an individual's stage of cognitive functioning are rare. Exposure to a model using higher stage reasoning induced immediate change but was no more successful than other paradigms in inducing long-term reasoning change. It was concluded that children seek to resolve the disequilibrium induced by any of several paradigms. Whether their attempts at resolution reach a more equilibrated state depends largely on their readiness to move upward.