Chapter 12 Moral Development and moral Trait 12.2 Kohlberg's stages of moral reasoning grouped these six stages into three levels. preconventional, conventional, and postconventional These three levels are distinguished by how the child or adult defines what he or she perceives as correct or moral behavior as with other stage theories each stage is more sophisticated and more complex than the preceding one and most individuals proceed through them in the same order(Colby and Kohlberg, 1984)Chapter 12 Moral Development and Moral Trait • 12.2 Kohlberg’s stages of moral reasoning • grouped these six stages into three levels: preconventional, conventional, and postconventional • These three levels are distinguished by how the child or adult defines what he or she perceives as correct or moral behavior. As with other stage theories, each stage is more sophisticated and more complex than the preceding one and most individuals proceed through them in the same order (Colby and Kohlberg, 1984)