Final answer:
Carol Gilligan extended Lawrence Kohlberg's research, demonstrating that girls and boys typically use different standards in assessing right and wrong, with boys focusing on justice and girls on care and responsibility.
Step-by-step explanation:
Carol Gilligan extended Lawrence Kohlberg's research by showing that girls and boys typically use different standards in assessing situations as right and wrong. While Kohlberg's original research only involved male subjects, Gilligan observed that boys tend to adopt a justice perspective, emphasizing rules and laws, whereas girls more often exhibit a care and responsibility perspective, considering the reasons behind people's actions.
Gilligan argued that this difference is not an indication that one gender's moral development is superior to the other's; rather, these are different expressions of the socialization process. Moreover, Gilligan noted that women are not deficient in moral reasoning as previously suggested by Kohlberg; they simply reason differently, focusing on connection and interpersonal relationships.
It's important to understand that some critiques have been aimed at Gilligan's study for its small sample size and lack of replication in subsequent research. Nonetheless, Gilligan's contributions highlight the influence of gender socialization on moral development.