Jacobson, Rachel (2019) Lawrence Kohlberg: A Psychobiography. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
This purpose of this research is to conduct a psychobiography of Lawrence Kohlberg (1927 – 1987). Kohlberg was a psychologist and academic most known for his stage theory of moral development. Psychobiography combines archival research with psychological theory to present a complete psychological profile of a person. This is done in two major stages: first, archival research is used to collect biographical information about the subject and their life experiences. Second, psychological theory is used to interpret the subject’s personality and life experiences to answer specific questions and research aims about the subject. The present psychobiography asks how Kohlberg’s life experiences shaped his definition of morality. For the first stage, this psychobiography uses texts published by Kohlberg, as well as those written by people who knew him well, to collate information about Kohlberg. Second, Kohlberg’s own definition of morality, taken from his theory, will be used for a thematic analysis to examine how Kohlberg’s life and personality impacted on his ideas about morality. It is hoped that this research will lead to a greater understanding of how theorists like Kohlberg rely on personal experience to develop their theory. Further, this research aims to use the case study format to provide insight into the applicability of Kohlberg’s moral theory, exploring to what extent Kohlberg’s theory can move beyond philosophy to explain lived human experience.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Psychology and Counselling (1 Jan 2015 - 31 Dec 2021) |
| Supervisors: | Carol du Plessis |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 24 Sep 2025 00:55 |
| Last Modified: | 24 Sep 2025 00:55 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Lawrence Kohlberg; psychobiography; moral; value; choice; sanction; rules; self-image; authority; content; justice |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52442 |
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