本研究は,児童の道徳的判断におけるGutkinの4段階説の順序性を実験的に検討する目的でなされた。実験Iでは,Gutkin(1972)の研究の追試を行い,主観的判断の出現率が6つの例話型によって異なっており,B, AおよびE型の例話がGuttman尺度を構成し4つの段階を示唆するという結果が得られた。実験IIでは,これらの諸段階と意図の認知の要因の関連が検討され,段階1の者は段階2, 3, 4の者に比べ意図の認知レベルが低いという結果が得られた。実験IIIでは,4段階の順序性がモデリングにより実験的に変化を起こして検討され,1段階上の判断を示された者の方が2段階上の判断を示された者より変化の度合いが大きく,2段階上へという急激な変化は起こりにくいという結果が得られた。これらの結果は,児童の道徳的判断にGutkinの提起した4段階が存在し,それらが発達的な順序性をなしているという1つの証拠と考えられる。

This study was designed to test the sequentiality of the 4 developmental stages proposed by Gutkin (1972). Using the 6 different story types (TABLE 1), constructed by systematically changing the 2 variables (intention and consequence), Gutkin proposed a 4-stage developmental sequence: (1) intention irrelevant, (2) intention relevant but consequence more important, (3) intention more important than consequence but consequence still relevant, (4) inention alone relevant. The purpose of the experiment I was to study the results of Gutkin's findings which showed a significant story type effect, and that type B, type A and type E formed a Guttman scale. The Ss were 91 kindergarten, first and third grade school children. The results indicated that subjective judgments were elicited differently by each story type and that type B, type A and type E formed a Guttman scale suggesting the Gutkin's 4-stage developmental sequence. The purpose of the experiment II was to examine the recognition of the actor's intention related to Gutkin's 4 stages in the children's moral judgments. Eight Ss at each stage were randomly selected from the Ss of experiment I. The measurement of the recognition of the actor's intention was based on King's study (1971). The results indicated that the Ss at stage 1 had significantly lower scores in the recognition of the actor's intention than the Ss at stages 2, 3, 4. The purpose of the experiment III was to test the sequentiality of Gutkin's 4 stages experimentally by bringing about the changes in the moral judgments through modeling procedure. The Ss were 67 kindergarten boys. Based on the scores of individually administered pretest, the 30 Ss, who were at stages 1 and 2, were selected and assigned to the following three groups. The first treatment group was exposed to a model who expressed consistently subjective judgments that were one stage above the Ss initial dominant stage (+1, treatment). The second treatment group was exposed to a model expressing consistently subjective judgments two stages above (+2 treatment). The members of the control group were not exposed to any model in the treatment phase. One week later, each group was administered the posttest. The results indicated that the +1 treatment was more effective in moving subjects up stages than the +2 treatment. This was interpreted as indicating the developmental sequentiality of the Gutkin's 4 stages. As a discussion it was remarked that a clarification of the cognitive characteristics of the children at each stage was necessary in order to understand the developmental process of the children's moral judgments.