Moral development: Parental and peer group influence on kibbutz and city children

In the presenty study 610 kibbutz and city boys and girls from grades 3 to 6 were compared on the following variables: Stages of moral judgment, external reactions to transgression (fear and punitiveness), and internal reactions to transgression (guilt and confession). No significant differences were found in moral judgment and internal reactions to transgression. Significant differences were found in external reactions to transgression: City children expressed more fear and were more punitive towards a transgressor than kibbutz children. The findings were explained in the light of cognitive development theory, as well as the different socialization patterns in the two subcultures.