Unit 3 Exp 2: Social, Cognitive, & Moral Development 2023

Cognitive Development

study of how children acquire the ability to learn, think, reason, communicate, and remember

Moral Development

the changes in people's sense of justice and of what is right and wrong, and in their behavior related to moral issues

Social Development

a developmental process that refers to the way people relate to others around them

Jean Piaget

Known for his theory of cognitive development in children

sensorimotor stage

Piaget- infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities

preoperational stage

Piaget- a child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic

concrete operational

Piaget- children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events (4+4 will always = 8, cause& effect, things that don't change(concrete)

formal operational

Piaget- abstract thinking and reasoning

Lawrence Kohlberg

Famous for his theory of moral development in children (specifically adolescent males); made use of moral dilemmas in assessments- Heinz' Dilemma

Preconventional level

Kohlberg- rewards and punishments dominate moral thinking

Conventional level

Kohlberg- strict adherence to societal rules and the approval of others determine what is moral

Postconventional level

Kohlberg- moral actions are judged on the basis of personal codes of ethics that are general and abstract and that may not agree with societal norms

Charles Horton Cooley

The Looking Glass Self

The Looking Glass Self

a self-image based on how we think others see us

George Herbert Mead

Developed Symbolic Interactionism. Believed development of individual was a social process as were the meanings individuals assigned to things

I self

That part of the self that thinks and makes judgments.

Me self

That part of the self that is the OBJECT of the I-self's thinking and judging.

generalized other

internalization of the norms, values, and beliefs of one's community or society

significant others

those people are most important to your self-concept

Carol Gilligan

moral development studies to follow up Kohlberg. She studied girls and women and found that they did not score the same as their male counterparts, throwing doubt on Kohlberg's theory

justice perspective

Gilligan- men are more concerned about ethics, rights, equality, don't do the crime if you can't do the time

Care perspective

Gilligan- views people in terms of their connectedness with others and emphasizes interpersonal communication, relationships with others, and concern for others (empathy)