Child Life Certification Practice Test 2026 - Free Child Life Practice Questions and Study Guide

The term that describes people whose moral understanding goes beyond established laws is "post-conventional." This concept is a part of Lawrence Kohlberg's stages of moral development, where individuals at this level tend to base their moral reasoning on personal principles and values rather than solely on the rules and laws that govern society.

In this stage, moral decisions are often made in the context of ethical principles that prioritize justice, equality, and human rights, reflecting a deeper reasoning that transcends legal constraints. Individuals who operate within this framework may challenge unjust laws or advocate for changes in societal norms when they perceive a conflict between the law and universal human rights or ethics.

The other terms mentioned do not pertain to moral reasoning in the same way. The microsystem and exosystem refer to different layers of social environments in which an individual is influenced, primarily within Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, and "conventional" pertains to the stage where individuals align their moral reasoning with societal norms and expectations, without transcending them as in the post-conventional stage.