Which of the following best describes Lawrence Kohlberg's contribution to developmental psychology as studied in AP Psychology?

• A. He developed a theory outlining the stages of moral development based on how individuals reason about ethical dilemmas.
• B. He formulated the attachment theory, emphasizing secure and insecure attachment styles in children.
• C. He identified the psychosocial stages of development, such as trust vs. mistrust and autonomy vs. shame.
• D. He proposed the stages of cognitive development, including sensorimotor and preoperational stages.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the key figures and their contributions in developmental psychology. Lawrence Kohlberg is known for his work on moral development, while other psychologists like Erik Erikson, Jean Piaget, and John Bowlby contributed to different theories.
2. Step 2: Identify Kohlberg's main focus, which is the development of moral reasoning. He proposed that individuals progress through specific stages in how they think about ethical dilemmas, rather than just learning right from wrong behaviorally.
3. Step 3: Recognize the other theories mentioned: attachment theory (John Bowlby), psychosocial stages (Erik Erikson), and cognitive development stages (Jean Piaget). These are distinct from Kohlberg's theory.
4. Step 4: Match Kohlberg's contribution to the description that involves stages of moral development based on reasoning about ethical dilemmas, which is unique to his theory.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the best description of Kohlberg's contribution is the theory outlining stages of moral development focused on moral reasoning.