The first level is generally found in children up to the elementary school level. The first stage in this level is called Obedience and Punishment, in which people behave according to accepted norms laid out by authority figures. The obedience to these authority figures is enforced by the threat of punishment. In the second stage, Individualism and Exchange, children begin to realize there is no single, unified view coming from authority figures and thus start to act in their own best interests.
The first stage of this level (or stage three), called "Good Girl/Boy," is comprised of behavior in which a person attempts to seek the approval of others. This stage usually occurs around the teenage years. The fourth stage is "Law and Order," in which a person focuses on following the law, respecting authority and being bound by duties of the social order.
Kohlberg believes the third level is not reached by the large majority of adults. Stage five is called the Social Contract, in which people think about society and morals in a theoretical way and begin the ask questions about the status quo. From these questions come the sincere interest in the general welfare; they believe a well-functioning society is one in which all enter into a social contract in order to help others. Stage six, called Principled Conscience, is comprised of people respecting universal principles as they work towards the conception of a good and just society. According to Kohlberg, very few people fit into this final stage, and those who do have a difficult time defining their values as evidenced in it.
Kohlberg maintains that movement between these stages does not directly result from natural, chronological growth, but from socialization and experience. People can only progress through these stages in order and cannot skip stages. People can, however, begin to comprehend the logic of the stage just above their own. Kohlberg felt it was important to discuss various ethical dilemmas with people in order for them to better understand the moral stage just after their own, thus promoting moral development.