The developmental sequence of preschool children's moral judgments, and their emphasis on intentions versus property damage was investigated. Eight moral judgment stories with drawings were read to twelve 3 1/2- and twelve 4 1/2-year-old children (mean ages = 46.6 and 54.0 months, respectively). The stories included either positive or negative consequences for damage directed against either a person or property. In the positive Intention/negative consequence stories, age groups predominantly judged on the basis of consequence in all contexts. In the negative intention/positive consequence stories, however, 4 1/2-year-olds made consequence-based judgments only in stories of property damage [p=.LT.01], whereas 3 1/2-year-olds did not make consequence-based judgments in either context. The findings suggest that 3 1/2-year-olds respond to any negative event [either intention or consequence] in the story and that 4 1/2-year-olds conform to traditional Piagetian theory only when property damage is involved (Author/SS)