A theory that describes moral development as the process of developing the ability to apply abstract and universal moral principles to regulate the moral judgments and actions of an individual. Unlike J. Piaget, L. Kohlberg assumed that the development of moral thinking unfolds in a universal sequence and leads to the disclosure of universal moral principles, regardless of the influence of a particular culture. It describes a sequence of six stages of moral development, divided into three levels (preconventional, conventional, and postconventional). The main tools for assessing moral judgments in the studies of Kohlberg and his followers are the structured Kohlberg Moral Judgment Assessment Interview and the J. S. Smith Problem Definition Test. Resta.