Which psychologist argued that moral reasoning differs by gender, with women focusing more on relationships and care?

• A. Carol Gilligan
• B. Lawrence Kohlberg
• C. Erik Erikson
• D. Sigmund Freud

Answer: (A)

Moral reasoning can differ by gender, with women often emphasizing relationships and care. Carol Gilligan argued this distinction, proposing an ethic of care that centers on responsibility to others and sustaining connected relationships. This contrasts with Lawrence Kohlberg’s justice-based model, which emphasizes universal moral principles and abstract rules. Gilligan suggested that women’s moral reasoning is more likely to emerge from caring for others and navigating relational contexts, rather than solely applying principled rules. Carol Gilligan.