CH14: Moral Development

Piaget’s stages of moral development

1. heteronomous morality

2. autonomous morality

heteronomous morality (>7 years)

• children who have not achieve Piaget’s concrete operations

• regard rules and duties to others as unchangeable “givens”

• justice is whatever authorities say is right & their punishments to noncompliance are always justified

• children believe that what determines whether an action is good or bad are the consequences of the action, not the motives or intentions behind it.

transition period

children enter a transition period in which interactions with their peers lead them to develop the ability to take on another’s perspective and to develop beliefs about fairness.

autonomous morality (age 11-12)

• No longer accept blind obedience to authority as basis of moral decisions'

• rules are a product of social agreement and can be changed if the majority of group agrees

• fairness and equality among people as important to consider when constructing rules

• punishments should “fit the crime”; adults are not always fair in how they deliver punishment

Kohlbergs Theory of Moral Reasoning

1. pre-conventional

2. conventional

3. post-conventional / principle level

pre-conventional level

self-centered; focused on rewards and avoiding punishments

• stage 1: punishment and obedience orientation:

  • obedience to authorities is right

  • moral actions motivated by avoidance of punishments

  • does not recognize the interests of others or that interpersonal interests can differ

• stage 2: instrumental and exchange orientation

  • what is right is what is in the child’s best interest or involves equal exchange

conventional

centered on social relationships; compliance with social duties and laws

• stage 3: mutual interpersonal expectations, relationships, and interpersonal conformity orientation

  • good behavior = doing what is expected (social roles - “good kid”)

• stage 4: social system and conscience orientation

  • fulfilling one’s duties, upholding laws, and contributing to society or one’s group

  • motivated to keep the social system going and avoid breakdown in its functioning

postconventional

ideals; moral principles

• stage 5: social contract or individual rights orientation

  • upholding rules that are in the best interest of the group

• stage 6: universal ethical principle

  • commitment to self-chosen ethical principles that reflect universal principles

  • principles must be upheld in any society, regardless of majority opinion

Social domain theory of moral development

growth in moral reasoning occurs not through stagelike change but through gradual change based on the child’s social interactions with peers and adults as well as through direct socialization from their parents

1. moral domain

2. societal domain

3. personal domain

moral domain

an area of social knowledge based on concepts of right and wrong, fairness, justice, and individual rights; these concepts apply across contexts and supersede rules or authority

societal domain

an area of social knowledge that encompasses concepts regarding the rules and conventions through which societies maintain order

personal domain

an area of social knowledge that pertains to actions in which individual preferences are the main consideration; there are no right or wrong choices

conscience

an internal regulatory mechanism that increases an individual’s ability to conform to standards of conduct accepted in their culture

prosocial behavior

voluntary behavior intended to benefit another, such as helping, sharing with, and comforting others

• cooperation, helping, sharing, donating

primary prevention

a program targeting all individuals in a particular setting (e.g., a school) in order to prevent the occurrence of a problematic behavior or condition

secondary prevention

a program designed to help individuals at risk for developing a problem or condition, with the goal of preventing the problem or condition

tertiary intervention

a program designed to help individuals who already exhibit a problem or condition

antisocial behavior

disruptive, hostile, or aggressive behavior that violates social norms or rules and that harms or takes advantage of others

aggression

behavior aimed at physically or emotionally harming or injuring others

instrumental aggression

aggression motivated by the desire to obtain a concrete goal

oppositional defiant disorders (ODD)

a disorder characterized by age-inappropriate and persistent displays of angry, defiant, and irritable behaviors

conduct disorder (CD)

a disorder that involves severe antisocial and aggressive behaviors that inflict pain on others or involve destruction of property or denial of the rights of others

reactive aggression

emotionally driven, antagonistic aggression sparked by one’s perception that other people’s motives are hostile

proactive aggression

unemotional aggression aimed at fulfilling a need or desire

positive youth development

an approach to youth intervention that focuses on developing and nurturing strengths and assets rather than on correcting weaknesses and deficits

service learning

a strategy for promoting positive youth development that integrates schoolbased instruction with community involvement in order to promote civic responsibility and enhance learning

1. According to Piaget, which factor is most influential in the development of children’s moral reasoning?

a. Adult influence

b. Interactions with peers

c. Societal norms

d. Heredity

b. Interactions with peers

2. Sarah is angry and wants to break her mother’s favorite vase. However, she does not want to get in trouble for her actions, so she decides to punch a pillow instead. According to Kohlberg’s hierarchy, Sarah’s behavior is typical of which level of moral development?

a. Preconventional

b. Developmental

c. Conventional

d. Postconventional

a. Preconventional

3. Luis does not write on his desk because the rules of the classroom forbid it, and he wants to set a good example for his classmates. According to Kohlberg’s hierarchy, Luis is in which stage of moral development?

a. Universal ethical principles

b. Punishment and obedience orientation

c. Instrumental and exchange orientation

d. Social system and conscience orientation

d. Social system and conscience orientation

4. According to social domain theory, at approximately what age do children begin to believe that it is more important to follow moral rules than societal conventions?

a. 12 months

b. 6 years

c. 12 years

d. 3 years

d. 3 years

5. Prosocial behavior is best defined as

a. behavior based on personal benefit.

b. voluntary behavior intended to benefit another.

c. actions that contribute to society as a whole.

d. behavior intended to win approval.

b. voluntary behavior intended to benefit another.

6. Children develop a conscience

a. through identification with other children the same age, at about age 4 to 6.

b. slowly over time, and this development is affected by parental disciplinary practices.

c. in a discontinuous process.

d. in a standard sequence, regardless of parental practices.

b. slowly over time, and this development is affected by parental disciplinary practices.

7. For children with a specific variant of the gene SLC6A4, low maternal responsiveness is associated with high levels of conscience in early childhood. This pattern is an example of

a. Piaget’s stages of moral development.

b. Kohlberg’s levels of moral reasoning.

c. goodness of fit between temperament and environment.

d. prosocial behavior.

c. goodness of fit between temperament and environment.

8. Which has been shown to influence the development of conscience?

a. Parental discipline style

b. Genetic factors

c. Temperament

d. All of the above

d. All of the above

9. Jaden is playing with a toy car. Sam comes over and takes it from her, which makes Jaden sad. Omar watches this happen and feels sad as well. Omar is displaying what kind of emotional response?

a. Sympathy

b. Prosocial behavior

c. Altruism

d. Empathy

d. Empathy

10. Cooperation is a form of prosocial behavior that may be driven by both sympathy and a child’s sense of

a. shame.

b. empathy.

c. fairness.

d. justice.

c. fairness.

11. Harsh parenting, including physical punishment, has been found to predict

a. more aggression and antisocial behavior.

b. less aggression and antisocial behavior.

c. more internalization of morals.

d. more prosocial behavior.

a. more aggression and antisocial behavior.

12. Physical aggression is normative in development and increases in frequency beginning at around of age.

a. 5 to 6 years

b. 6 months

c. 18 months

d. 3 years

c. 18 months

13. Severe antisocial and aggressive behaviors, such as cruelty to animals and patterns of bullying, are examples of

a. conduct disorder.

b. reactive aggression.

c. oppositional defiant disorder.

d. negative youth development.

a. conduct disorder.

14. In the school cafeteria, Lynn pushes other children out of the way in order to get ahead in the line. What type of aggression is Lynn using?

a. Reactive

b. Proactive

c. Antisocial

d. Relational

b. Proactive

15. The Fast Track program for at-risk youth described in the text is an example of

a. a primary prevention program.

b. a secondary prevention intervention.

c. a tertiary intervention program.

d. Both A and C

b. a secondary prevention intervention.