ABSTRACT
An information-processing account of retributive moral judgments is presented which draws heavily on conceptual analyses of moral issues in jurisprudence. In contrast to the more familiar Kohlbergian approach, the information-processing theory focuses on the mechanisms of moral decision making rather than on postdecisional rationalizations. Empirical evidence relevant to the theory is discussed, and implications of this new perspective are drawn for the future study of moral development. Drawing on observational research, several specific socialization contexts for the learning of moral rules are suggested.
