Motivated Blindness
A term that describes the common failure of people to notice others' unethical behavior when seeing that behavior would harm the observer
Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development
Stage 1: Obedience to Rules; Avoid Punishment
Stage 2: Satisfy one's own needs
Stage 3: Fairness to Others
Stage 4: Law and Order
Stage 5: Social Contract
Stage 6: Universal Ethical Principles
Stage 1: Obedience to Rules; Avoid Punishment
What is right is judged by one's obedience to rules and authority
Stage 2: Satisfy one's own needs
Rules and authority are important only if acting in accordance with them satisfies one's own needs
Stage 3: Fairness to Others
Individual is not only motivated by rules but seeks to do what is in the perceived best interests of others, especially those in a family, peer group, or work organization. There is a commitment of loyalty in the relationship
Stage 4: Law and Order
Emphasizes morality of law and duty to the social order. One's duty to society, respect for authority, and maintaining the social order become the focus in decision making
Stage 5: Social Contract
An individual is motivated by upholding the basic rights, values, and legal contracts of society. That person recognizes in some cases that legal and moral points of view may conflict. To reduce such conflict, individuals at this stage base their decision
Stage 6: Universal Ethical Principles
Right and wrong are determined by universal ethical principles that everyone should follow
Rest's Model
Moral Sensitivity
Moral Judgment
Moral Motivation
Moral Character
Moral Sensitivity
The individual interprets the situation as moral
Moral Judgment
An individual's ethical cognition of what "ideally" ought to be done to resolve an ethical dilemma
Moral Motivation
An individual's willingness to place ethical values ahead of nonethical values
Moral Character
Individuals who are more likely to carry out their ethical intentions with ethical action
Rest's Model
Based upon the presumption that an individual's behavior is related to her/his level of moral development. Breaks ethical decision making into 4 components. All components must take place for moral behavior to occur
Cognitive Dissonance
Inconsistency between our thoughts, beliefs or attitudes and behavior creates the need to resolve contradictory or conflicting beliefs, values and perceptions. How we think we should behave is different from how we decide to behave.
Behavioral Ethics
Considers how individuals make decisions in the real world versus how they would make decisions in an ideal world