In Kohlberg’s theory of moral reasoning, hypothetical scenarios that ask an individual to consider values and ethical principles or to determine right from wrong.

The stage in Piaget’s theory of moral development in which an individual comes to understand that rules are changeable as people create them, and thus they will not be punished necessarily for breaking them.

The stage in Piaget’s theory of moral development in which children believe rules to be immutable and that they will thus be punished automatically for breaking them.

According to Erikson, the set of critical issues that individuals must address as they pass through each of the eight life stages.

A set of principles and ideas grounded in the way a social context relates to psychological development. Erikson is often associated with this theory.

Symbols created by cultural phenomena and within specific social contexts that help people with reasoning, reflection, communication, and problem-solving.

The phase at which an individual can undertake logical reasoning and work abstractly with hypotheticals. According to Piaget, this occurs from age eleven to adulthood.

A skill acquired in the concrete operational stage of Piaget’s cognitive development theory in which individuals can mentally organize objects according to various features and patterns, and understand how they are related.

The sequential arrangement of objects according to a particular quality such as size, weight, or volume.

Analysis of a problem through meaning discovered in the context of other relevant information. It is a necessary cognitive skill in the development of children’s semantic aptitude.