Korean children's concepts of adult and peer authority and moral reasoning

This study examined Korean children's judgments about authority commands regarding moral events bearing on property rights (dealing with lost property), distributive justice (sharing candy), and public welfare (disposing of trash). Sixty children from the 1st, 3rd, and 5th grades were presented with story variations in which an individual intervened, giving a command to children, or in which 2 different persons gave opposing commands. At all ages, children judged that a principal, a teacher, a class president, and a child who held no position of authority have legitimacy and should be obeyed when giving directives considered morally right. Children also accorded greater legitimacy to persons giving commands consistent with moral demands (a teacher, a class president, or a child with no position of authority) over a principal's command contrary to the moral evaluation. Justifications for their choices were based on rights, sharing, and welfare. The findings showed that Korean children do not take a unilateral orientation to adult authorities or unquestioningly accept authority directives.