psych test 3- social cognition and moral develpment

theory of mind

realizing that others have their own thoughts, feelings, and beliefs that influence what they do.

define social cognition

understanding how people think and feel so you can interact with them appropriately.

what is theory of mind

understanding that others have their own thoughts, beliefs, and emotions that guide their behavior.

what age does desire psychology occur

develops around age 2.

what is desire psychology

understanding that people’s actions come from their desires 

what was the cracker vs broccoli experiment

• A researcher offered toddlers two foods: crackers (which most kids like) and broccoli (which most kids dislike).

• The adult pretended to like the broccoli and dislike the crackers — saying things like,
  “Mmm, broccoli! Yummy!” and “Ew, crackers! Yuck!”

• Then the adult held out their hand and said, “Can you give me some?”

• 14-month-olds: Gave the crackers, because they assumed everyone likes what they like.

• 18-month-olds: Gave the broccoli, recognizing that the adult’s preference was different from their own.

what did the cracker vs the broccli show

This experiment showed that by around 18 months, children begin to understand that other people can have desires different from their own — a key step in developing theory of mind.

belief desire psychology

realizing that people act based on both what they want and what they believe — even if those beliefs are wrong

what is the false belief task and at what age do children usually pass it

The false belief task tests whether a child knows that others can believe something untrue, and children usually pass it around age 4–5.

what are some things that promote development of theory of mind

rich social interactions, strong language skills, imaginative play, and opportunities to talk about feelings and beliefs with others.

children with what disorder have trouble with theory of mind

autism

define moral development

learning to tell right from wrong and act based on fairness, empathy, and values.

kholbergs preconventinal stage

morality based on avoiding punishment and gaining rewards — typical of early childhood.

kholbergs conventional stage

morality based on gaining approval and following rules or laws to maintain social order.

kholbergs postconventional stage

morality based on personal ethics and universal principles, not just laws or approval.

adolescents are in which stage of morality

conventional level

damons level 0 none

very young children act from self-interest, with no understanding of fairness or equality yet.

damons level 1 equality

children believe fairness means everyone gets the same, focusing on equal shares rather than effort or need.

damons levels 2 merit

fairness means rewards should match effort or contribution, not just be divided equally.

damons level 3 need

fairness means helping or giving more to those who need it most, showing care and understanding for others.

damons level 4 multiple claims

fairness means balancing equality, effort, and need — using mature judgment to decide what’s most fair in each situation

dodges information processing theory step 1

Encode cues

dodges information processing theory step 2

Interpret cues

dodges information processing theory step 3

Clarify goals

dodges information processing theory step 4

Generate responses

dodges information processing theory step 5

Evaluate/choose a response

dodges information processing theory step 6

Act on it

Prefrontal cortex (moral behavior)

reasoning and self-control

Amygdala & limbic system

emotional responses

what is the marshmallow test

measures self-control — the ability to wait for a larger future reward instead of taking an immediate one.