The Heinz dilemma is primarily used to illustrate which psychological theory?

• A. Kohlberg's theory of moral development
• B. Piaget's theory of cognitive development
• C. Erikson's psychosocial development theory
• D. Freud's psychoanalytic theory

Answer: (A)

Moral reasoning is what the Heinz dilemma helps explore. It asks you to consider not just what is done, but why someone might justify breaking the law to save a life, revealing how people reason about right and wrong at different levels. In Kohlberg's theory, people move from focusing on avoiding punishment and pursuing personal gain to respecting social norms, and finally to upholding universal ethical principles. The Heinz scenario is a classic prompt for these shifts because it prompts justification that can be placed along those levels of reasoning, showing how moral thinking develops beyond simple rules or emotions. While Piaget also studied how children's moral thinking changes, the structured focus on the stages of moral reasoning and the progression from concrete to abstract principles is central to Kohlberg's framework. Other theories described human development in different domains—psychosocial crises or psychosexual stages—not the specific pattern of moral reasoning this dilemma is designed to illuminate. So the scenario is most closely aligned with Kohlberg's theory of moral development.