The Condition of Sophomoritis and its Educational Cure

Abstract

A problematic phase in the transition from conventional to principled moral judgement is characterized as the condition of ‘sophomoritis’. Then an experimental course designed around this problem is described. The course sought to integrate material from ‘Introductory Ethics’ courses with perspectives on moral development from Kohlberg's theory. The effects of the course are described in terms of change on Kohlberg's stages and in terms of qualitative analysis of interview data. The quantitative data indicate an average development of one‐third of a stage, compared to no change in a comparison group. The qualitative analysis presents a framework within which the condition of sophomoritis can be understood in more depth and the impact of this educational experiment can be described.