Chapter 14 – Moral Development

• Self-Control

- behavioral manifestation of morality

• Learning morality

- society’s goal: resist temptation

- delay gratification

• Development of self-control

- age 1 learn limits

- by 2 inhibit own impulses

- by 3 use techniques

4 Learning mechanisms

1.General parenting style

Control + caring -> kids learn selfcontrol

vs. too strict or too laissez-faire

-> kids don’t learn to control selves

2. Modeling

- learn to inhibit self by watching modelwho verbalizes rationale

- kids as models: later better at restraint

3.Reinforcement

- rewards for alternative behaviors

4. Punishment

- best = mild punishment & rationale

- sometimes rationale alone is enough

-> internal attributions

Problems

- resentment, coercion, attention for bad behavior

4 Self-Control Methods

1. Freud’s imagery

= create image of desired object

- but reduces self-control

2.Distraction

- focus on alternative activity

3.Self-instruction

- talking self through the impulse

4.Create “moral” self-concept

- convince children that they are “good”

via “dispositional praise”

- self-concept directs future behavior

• Consequences of Self-Control

If delay gratification at 4:

- boys at 11 = better impulse control,attention span, & behavior

- girls at 11 = more socially competent

- both at 15-18 = better self-control,reasoning, SAT scores

Prosocial Behavior

Development

• Toddlers

- beginning to help others

- limited by cognitive skills

• Preschool/Elementary

- sharing, helping

- motivated by rewards & authority

- later growth of prosocial behaviorwithout rewards

• Adolescents/Adults

- concern for fairness, helping others

- behavior based on principles

Skills needed

Perspective-taking

- more prosocial if understand others’ feelings

- lack of egocentrism

Empathy

- feeling what another feels

Moral Reasoning

- belief that one should behave a certain way

- preschoolers don’t use fairness

- by school age, simple view of fairness

- later appreciate complexity of fairness

Influences on prosocial behavior

1.Personal Responsibility

- when we feel responsible, we are more likely to help

Personal responsibility decreased by:

- diffusion of responsibility

- authority figures

2.Mood

- more prosocial if happy

3.Cost to self

- more prosocial if no cost to self

4.Culture

- more altruism in nonindustrialized nations

- collectivist vs. individualistic societies

Percentages of children above altruism mean

• Nonindustrialized

Kenya 100

Mexico 73

Philippines 63

Industrialized

Okinawa 29

India 25

US 8

Aggression

Origins of Aggression

1.Biological/instinctual

- Freud

- Lorenz

2.Cognitive/Intentional

- aggression is goal-driven

Hostile goal = intent to harm

Instrumental goal = gain own ends

Development of Aggression

Infants & young toddlers (< 1.5 yrs)

- aggression without intent to harm

• Preschoolers (2-5)

- intimidate to gain own ends

- rise in instrumental aggression

a. 2-3

- more physical retaliation

- most aggression is instrumental

b.3-5

- less physical aggression

- more verbal aggression

- increasing hostile aggression

• Elementary School (6-11)

- react with aggression to provocation

• Stability of Aggression

very stable - from toddlerhood

- for boys and girls

- boys are more aggressive

Sources of Aggression

1.Frustration

- frustration-aggression hypothesis

2. Parents

Punishment

- teach physical aggression

Parental style

- model lack of concern for others

- do not monitor/supervise

- use physical discipline more

3. Sex Differences

- males more physically aggressive worldwide

- males are targets of aggression

- testosterone + socialization

- girls: “relational” aggression

4.Culture

- some societies are more violent

5.Media

- Bandura’s Bobo doll

- “good guys” rewarded for violence

• General findings:

- consistent link between TV violence & childaggression

- risks: learning to behave violently

desensitization to violence

fearfulness

- perpetrators unpunished

- few consequences for victim

6.Individual Differences

- minority of very aggressive kids

a. expectations

b. domination of others

c. biased cognitions

- assume hostile intent

• Sum: many possible contributors

Controlling Aggression

1.Freud’s catharsis

- venting anger to decrease it

- does not work

2. Eliminate reinforcement a. incompatible response technique

- ignore mild aggression& reinforce good behavior

b. time out- for serious aggression- removes attention for aggression- does not model aggression- helps child gain self-control

3. Model & coach

- teach nonaggressive conflict resolution

4. Teach empathy

- train awareness of others’ feelings

Moral Reasoning

Dilemma = competing demands for justice

• Kohlberg’s Stages

1. Preconventional Level

- moral judgments are based on physical consequences, authority/power,

own needs & desires

2. Conventional Level

- reasoning based on conforming tosocial norms, doing what is

“right”/duty,wanting the approval of others

3. Postconventional Level

- based on universal, abstract principles

- fairness/justice

Judy is 12 years old. Her mother promised that she could go to a special rock concert.

Support for Kohlberg

1. Correlation between age & level ofmoral reasoning

2. Sequence of stages

3. Relation between moral reasoning &behavior

Criticisms of Kohlberg

• Highest principle may differ by society

• Highest stage reached

• Male vs. female morality

Gilligan’s Theory

• Morality = care & responsibility in relationships

- integration of rights & responsibility

3 stages• Self

- concern solely with own needs (selfish)

• Others

- other’s needs at expense of own (selfless)

• Both

- considering own & others’ needs

• Boys and girls show both justice and care morals

• Conclusion: Not one morality (justice), but possibly many

1.Preconventional Level

- consequences, authority/power, needs &

desires

2.Conventional Level

- social norms, “right”/duty, approval

3.Postconventional Level

- based on universal, abstract principles