Theory of Mind/ Moral development

Theory of Mind

People have mental states such as desires, beliefs, and intentions

• these mental stages guide their behavior

• allows us to predict/ explain behavior

Theory of Mind: Precursors

1. Indications that infants at 6 mo. can distinguish b/w ppl and objects

2. Joint attention

Joint attention

Beggining around 9 mo., infants and caregivers both look at the same object at the same

Pretend play

Begins at 18 mo.- 2 yrs

• a form of symbolic play where children use objects, actions or ideas to represent other objects, actions, or ideas using their imaginations to assign roles to inanimate objects or people

Emotional understanding: Empathy

the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person, or to experience their thoughts and feelings as if they were your own

Mirror neurons

brain cells that fire both when an individual performs an action and when they observe someone else performing the same action, potentially facilitating understanding and imitation of others' actions and intentions

Theory of mind/ moral development @ 18- 24 mo. (what happens here?)

• shows distress when breaking rules

• Exhibit prosocial behavior

  • Helping, sharing, and comforting

What are the 2 stages of Theory of mind?

1. Desire psych

2. Belief-desire psych

Desire psych

@ 2 yrs

• Talk about what they want

• Explain own and other’s behavior in terms of wants

• Understand others may desire something different then they do

• Refer to mental states in their speech

  • Ex: cracker vs. Broccoli experiment

Belief- Desire psych

@ 4 yrs

• Others can believe something different than I, something different than I know what to be true

• Other ppl desire things and believe their actions will get them what they want, but not all beliefs are accurate reflections of reality

False- Belief task

Shows the child understands ppl can hold incorrect beliefs and that these beliefs, even through incorrect, can influence their behavior

• 85% of 4 yr olds passed false belief task

Contributors to the development of theory of mind

• Neurological maturation

• Developmental cognitive changes

• Language development

• Interactions with others

  • pretend play

  • child adult interactions

• Mirror neurons

Children with what disorder have trouble with theory of mind?

Autism

Moral development

the process by which individuals acquire and internalize moral values, beliefs, and principles that guide their behavior and decision-making in social contexts

What were 3 components of morality?

1. Cognition

2. Behavior

3. Emotions

Kohlberg’s Moral Development

More of a cognitive theory; how the person comes to a decision

• Deciding what’s right/ wrong

• What we do

• what we feel

Kohlberg’s Moral development 3 stages

1. Preconventional

2. Conventional

3. Postconventional

preconventional stage

Goodness/ badness depends on consequences

• rules are external

What are the 2 levels of preconventional?

1. Avoid punishment

   • The more the punishment- the worse the act

   • no punishment= no wrong doing

2. Gain rewards- Personal interest

   • Do right to get rewards

   • “I’ll scratch your back, if you scratch mine

Conventional stage

Has internalized values… strives to obey rules

What are the 2 levels for Conventional?

1. Good boy/girl

   • Intent is important

   • “He didn’t mean to do it or he meant well”

   • Right is what pleases, helps or is approved

2. Legal: Legitimate authority (main social order): It’s the law- obey the rules

Postconventional stage

• Broad principles of justice

• Transcend laws and specific authorities

• Make legal vs moral distinction

What are the 2 levels of Postconventional

1. Social contract

   • agreed upon rules, will of the majority

   • maximizes social good

2. Individuals principles

   • self chosen

   • ideal, considers all POV

Most adolescence are in __ stage, __ level?

Preconventional; 2nd

Most adults are in what stage?

conventional stage; 2nd level

Damon stages

1. None: Me-Id

2. Equality: equal share

3. Merit: earned

4. Need: need

5. M.C.: All

None stage

Ain’t got no justice- I should get it because I want it

Strict equality

• Everyone gets same amount

• Problems if it can’t be divided

Merit

They earned it

Need

They need it

Multiple claims

Need, merit, and equality considered for ‘fair share’

Dodge’s Info Processing

Dodge invested what happens in one’s thinking when negative social event

• compared normal adolescents with highly aggressive youths

• 6 steps

What are Dodge’s 6 steps?

1. Encoding of cues

2. Interpretation of cues

3. Clarify of goals

4. Response search

5. Response evaluation or decision

6. Behavioral enactment

What is the marshmallow test?

A marshmallow is presented to children and they test to see if they can wait to get a 2nd one when they adult comes back

What are the 3 major approaches to promoting child morality?

1. Love withdraw

2. Power assertion

3. Induction

   • explain why it’s wrong

   • increase empathy

Temperament variation

Fearful- Behaviorally inhibited

• gentle persuasion and mild discipline

Uninhibited- fearless

• warm, responsive parenting to secure attachment bond

• make them want to cooperate

Who discovered that children distinguish between different kinds of rules as early as age 3 or 4?

Elliot Turiel

• said that there’s moral and social rules

Moral rules

welfare and basic rights

• hitting, stealing

Social rules

what is appropriate in a particular setting

• Say please and thank you

• being quiet in the library

• the rules of the game

Prosocial behavior

Positive actions toward other people such as helping and cooperating

Altruism

behaviors driven by a genuine concern for others' well-being, often involving selflessness and a disregard for personal gain