Mini-Case Analysis on Ethics Read the following scenario. Respond to the questio
ID: 413987 • Letter: M
Question
Mini-Case Analysis on Ethics Read the following scenario. Respond to the question following the scenario by drawing on your understanding of Kohlberg's levels of moral development. Shelby has been studying for the past two weeks for her final in chemistry. Her grade in the class is much lower than it should be, and her father has warned her to improve or there will be consequences. So declining party invitations, restricting her time with friends, and spending hours in the library, Shelby has done a lot to prepare for this exam. Come test day, Shelby sits next to a friend of hers that lives on the same floor in their dorm. Talking with her before the test begins, Shelby notices that this friend has hidden a cheat sheet at the top of her backpack. Ordinarily, Shelby wouldn't be very concerned about it; however, the professor has already announced that he will be grading the test on a strict curve. Even if everyone does really well, the professor will divide up the grades to make sure there's a limited amount of A's and B's. Question. Putting yourself in Shelby's shoes, discuss should Shelby report what she's seen to the teacher or should she keep it to herself, or do something else? Please draw from your understanding of the Kohlberg's levels of moral development when arguing for what she should do and also for what she should not do. Remember to provide your reasoning in such a way that it conveys your understanding of the said framework in its completeness (each stage of the framework)Explanation / Answer
In the situation discussed in the case, Shelby has a moral dilemma whether she should divulge to authorities that a fellow classmate is carrying a cheat sheet during the exam and that she might have an unfair advantage which would impact her relative grades and others as well.
Drawing on the framework of Kohlberg, given her situation and probable age, she is most likely in the conventional stage where she would have moved on from feelings of extreme selfishness and individualism to a stage wherein she is more dictated by values related to preservation of law & order and also preserving the good image among others. It is most likely that since she is under pressure from her father and also is in school which implies the social construct may not matter too much for her. Keeping these conditions in mind, it is most likely that she would report her classmate who also happens to be a dorm mate for her purely because given the situation and her age, she would value the individualism aspect and the portrayal of good image as being more valuable than the social construct of her relationship with others.