Regarding her research on moral development, carol gilligan believes that male psychologists have, for the most part, defined moral maturity in terms of

Gilligan was critical of Kohlberg's stages of moral development conception. She felt that women, since they tended to respond in ways that described more empathetic mindsets, were given lower scores on the moral development scales. She felt that Kohlberg's stages were more aimed toward a justice mindset, instead of those who were more caring for others.