Cynthia, a fourth grader, detests having to eat vegetables and recently, her mother caught her throwing away her lunch in the trash. Since this incident, Cynthia has been forcing herself to eat whatever food she is given, not because she understands that it is healthy for her, but because she is scared that her mother will announce another time out. This is an example of Kohlberg's stage of moral reasoning.

Heteronomous Morality

Explanation:

Morality is the ability to know what is right and what is wrong when faced with a given situation. Morality develops across the lifespan because as we age and our cognitive skill increases, we are able to understand greater levels of moral reasoning.

Heteronomous Morality is usually between 5-9 years. Children regard morality as obeying the rules and laws of people which cannot be changed. Children accept that every rules are made by an authority figure such as God, teachers, or parents, and that breaking the rules lead to severe punishment.