Moral Reasoning in Young Children: A Review of Research into Intentionality and Implications for Education

Abstract

This article reviews recent investigations into intentionality (use of motive information) in young children's moral judgements. Intentionality has been shown to vary as a function of the nature of the vignette used in assessment and the manner in which the vignette is presented. Research has disclosed that young children can reliably use motive information in moral evaluations and that this capability can be facilitated through training experiences. The educational implications of Piagetian theory and cognitive social learning theory for moral development are discussed.