▁levels ▁of ▁moral ▁reasoning , ▁beginning ▁with ▁the ▁pre con vent ional ▁level ▁of ▁a ▁child , ▁and ▁con cluding ▁with ▁the ▁post con vent ional ▁( or ▁autonom ous ) ▁level ▁of ▁an ▁adult ▁aware ▁of ▁eth ical ▁principles ▁gu iding ▁univers ally ▁moral ▁behaviour . ▁ ▁Not ably , ▁the ▁notion ▁of ▁moral ▁conversion ▁has ▁been ▁distinguished ▁from ▁the ▁theory ▁of ▁moral ▁development ▁per ▁se , ▁by ▁Walter ▁E . ▁Con n ▁( of ▁Vill an ova ▁University ) ▁and ▁John ▁C . ▁Gib bs ▁( of ▁the ▁Ohio ▁State ▁University ). ▁Mor al ▁conversion , ▁according ▁to ▁Con n ▁and ▁Gib bs , ▁involves ▁critical ▁question ing ▁and ▁therefore ▁diff ers ▁from ▁any ▁sp ont aneous ▁moral ▁development ▁( K ohl berg ). ▁It ▁results ▁in ▁the ▁setting ▁forth ▁of ▁the ▁" self - ch osen ▁values " ▁( Con n ), ▁which ▁bring ▁the ▁exist ential ▁dimension ▁to ▁the ▁transform ing ▁process . ▁ ▁Alfred o ▁J . ▁Mac ▁L augh lin ▁of ▁St . ▁Am bro se ▁University ▁defines ▁moral ▁conversion ▁by ▁the ▁frequent ▁occurrence ▁of ▁the ▁" ▁convers ions " ▁resulting ▁from ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁free ▁will , ▁which ▁differ ▁from ▁the ▁natural / sp ont aneous ▁development ▁taking ▁place ▁in ▁increment al ▁stages ▁( K ohl berg ). ▁The ▁most ▁significant ▁aspect ▁of ▁moral ▁conversion ▁is ▁the ▁withdraw al ▁from ▁the ▁moral ▁conv ict ions ▁of ▁the ▁past , ▁which ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁" crit ical ▁self - app ropri ation " ▁or ▁the ▁critical ▁discovery