Final answer:
Children start developing a conscience in early childhood, with significant developments occurring in early adolescence during Kohlberg's conventional stage of moral development. By adulthood, some may reach the postconventional stage, thinking about morality abstractly. Gender differences in moral development have been suggested by Carol Gilligan's research.
Step-by-step explanation:
Children begin to develop a conscience at varying stages, starting with the preconventional stage. According to Lawrence Kohlberg, prior to the age of 9, children experience the world sensually in the preconventional stage. In early adolescence, they reach the conventional stage, where they become aware of and consider others' feelings, this is also the time when children begin to consider what society perceives as moral or immoral. By the time they reach adulthood, some may develop postconventional morality, which involves understanding morality in abstract terms and recognizing the disparity between legality and morality.
Furthermore, cognitive changes occur between the ages of 3 and 5, which includes the development of theory-of-mind (TOM). This advancement allows children to realize that others have different thoughts, feelings, and beliefs, which is critical to understanding morality. Carol Gilligan's research suggests gender differences in moral development, with boys developing a justice perspective and girls developing a care and responsibility perspective.