Moral Dilemma and Developmental Psychology

Jeremy, a high school junior, is faced with a moral dilemma when he discovers that his close friend, Alex, has been cheating on math tests by using a sophisticated program on his graphing calculator. Jeremy knows that if Alex is caught, he could be suspended and his college prospects might be jeopardized. Jeremy values honesty and believes in doing the right thing, but he also doesn't want to betray his friend's trust. He contemplates the consequences of reporting Alex to the teacher, keeping silent, or confronting Alex directly. After much thought, Jeremy decides to talk to Alex about the cheating. During their conversation, Jeremy notices that Alex shows no remorse and justifies his actions by saying that the school system is flawed and that he's only leveling the playing field. Jeremy is taken aback by Alex's reasoning and begins to question his own values and the school's policies. He wonders if the moral rules he has been following are too rigid and if there might be exceptions to the rule against cheating.

Based on the scenario described, answer the following questions about Jeremy's decision-making process and moral reasoning:

How might Jeremy be operating at Kohlberg's preconventional level of morality as he considers the consequences of reporting Alex?

In what ways could Jeremy be demonstrating Kohlberg's conventional level of morality as he weighs the importance of loyalty to his friend against the rules of the school?

Describe how Jeremy's ability to think about abstract concepts and consider the potential outcomes of different actions illustrates Piaget's formal operational stage of cognitive development.

When Jeremy decides to confront Alex, how is he exhibiting Kohlberg's postconventional level of morality?

Explain how Jeremy's questioning of his own values and the school's policies could be an example of Piaget's schema accommodation process.

Discuss the role of hypothetical reasoning in Jeremy's formal operational stage as he tries to determine the best course of action.

Considering Jeremy's moral development, analyze how he might resolve his dilemma by integrating both Kohlberg's stages of moral development and Piaget's stages of cognitive development.