Paul Thomas was going to leave the gas station without paying for the gas he had just put into his car when he noticed a police car pull up at one of the other pumps. Thomas went into the cashier and paid because he was afraid he would get caught if he tried to get away without paying. Thomas is in which of the following stages of ethical development?
A) preconventional ethics
B) self-defined ethics
C) conventional ethics
D) ego-centred development

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Thomas's decision to pay for the gas because he was afraid of getting caught, rather than because of an internalized sense of right or wrong, aligns with the preconventional level of ethical development. At this stage, moral reasoning is based primarily on the consequences of actions (punishment, reward) rather than on societal rules or personal ethics.

Paul Thomas Was Going to Leave the Gas Station Without