The moral act is theoretically analyzed as a complex phenomenon, its form and content are abstracted, experimental methods of studying moral acts differing in form and contents are briefly presented, and an experimental phenomenon of dissociation of verbal and real behavior is described in sufficient detail. Three stages in ontogenetic development of moral behavior in schoolchildren have been revealed on the basis of empirical data. Ethnopsychological data have been used in order to show that the last of the revealed stages is a relatively recent historical development and signifies appearance of a new stage in cultural-historical development of the moral behavior.