John – My gut reaction was - it’s not volunteering when the alternative is jail or prison - its self-interest/preservation at work. The motivation is to keep out of jail or prison! However, after reading the text, I still have the same conclusion. He is not doing it out of empathy or sympathy, and it’s hard to say if it is apathy, but conforming to the perception of more or harsher punishment is a motivating factor which would put him in Level 1 - Stage 1 - Punishment and Obedience. His ultimate motivation is to complete probation without having to go to jail or prison, and is purely self-serving. …show more content…
Yea, he is doing something nice or constructive for someone else, but the motivation is clearly self-serving too. He is putting his own desire to be liked by his girlfriend ahead of the act of what he is doing. According to the text, I believe he is at Level 1 – Stage 2 - Instrumental Purpose and Exchange. On the surface, he is not demonstrating a concern for the overall good of society; his motivation is doing something for someone else’s approval and to serve his desires or needs. He wants to been seen as a moral and caring person, so “volunteering” gives the impression he is doing his part for society.
John and Paul have demonstrated Kohlberg’s stages of Moral Development Stage 1 – Preconvential Morality – Level 1 and 2 respectively (Arrigo & Williams,