Social Cognition and Moral Development

Flashcards covering key concepts from social cognition and moral development.

Social Cognition

Thinking about the perceptions, thoughts, emotions, motives, and behaviors of oneself and others.

Theory of Mind

Understanding that people have mental states such as desires, beliefs, and intentions that guide their behavior.

False Belief Task

A test that assesses the understanding that people can hold incorrect beliefs that influence their behavior.

Belief-Desire Psychology

A phase in the development of theory of mind where children understand that different minds construct different views of reality.

Empathy

The ability to vicariously experience another person's feelings, important for moral development.

Prosocial Behavior

Positive social acts that reflect concern for the welfare of others.

Moral Development

The gradual development of an individual's understanding of what is right and wrong.

Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Reasoning

A theory outlining three broad levels of moral reasoning: preconventional, conventional, and postconventional.

Moral Emotions

Feelings that motivate moral behavior, such as guilt and empathy.

Induction

A disciplinary strategy that explains to a child why a behavior is wrong and how it affects others.

Antisocial Behavior

Behavior that violates social norms, rules, or laws.

Self-Control

The ability to inhibit one's impulses in situations that tempt wrongdoing.

Genetic Predisposition

The inherited genetic markers that may influence the likelihood of aggressive or antisocial behavior.

Cultural Differences in Morality

Variations in moral reasoning and ethical standards influenced by cultural background.

Moral Identity

The aspect of a person's identity related to their values and moral beliefs.

Dodge’s Social Information-Processing Model

A theory that explains how aggressive youth process information and interpret cues in social situations.

Fluid Intelligence

The capacity to think logically and solve problems in novel situations, independent of acquired knowledge.

Mirror Neurons

Neurons that activate when we perform an action and when we observe someone else performing the same action.