Final answer:
Lawrence Kohlberg's theory of moral development includes three main levels: preconventional, conventional, and postconventional. At the preconventional level, morality is decided based on rewards or punishments, which corresponds to option a. This level commonly occurs in young children, who have not yet begun to incorporate societal norms or abstract ethics into their moral reasoning.
Step-by-step explanation:
Lawrence Kohlberg's Levels of Moral Development
Lawrence Kohlberg was a psychologist who developed a theory of moral development, which is a key part of the socialization process and deeply influences how individuals function within society. His theory includes three levels: preconventional, conventional, and postconventional. According to Kohlberg, in the preconventional level, people, especially young children, decide what is right or wrong primarily based on immediate personal outcomes, such as being rewarded or punished for their actions.
At the preconventional level, moral reasoning is chiefly concerned with external consequences that actions might bring about. In contrast, during the conventional level, which generally starts in the teen years, the focus shifts to societal norms and the maintenance of social order. Finally, at the postconventional level, individuals consider abstract ethical principles and the greater good when making moral choices, sometimes challenging legal norms when they conflict with personal moral beliefs.