Moral Development
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Moral Development course, PSGY1006 - Developmental Psychology
Dr. Olivia Jewell teaching the module.
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Overview of Topics Covered:
Theories of moral development.
Development of prosocial behavior.
Development of anti-social behavior.
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Learning Outcomes:
Describe two theories of moral development.
Explain the developmental profile of prosocial behaviors.
Outline influences on the development of antisocial behavior.
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Definition of Morality:
Understanding the difference between 'right' and 'wrong'.
Exploration of the conflict between intuition vs. reason in moral decision-making.
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Theories of Moral Development:
Piaget's theory overview.
Distinction between moral realist vs. moral subjectivist perspectives.
Introduction to Kohlberg's stage theory of moral development.
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Piaget’s Stages of Moral Development:
Children's judgment on the relative 'naughtiness' based on intentions vs. damage caused.
Distinctions made between good intentions with large damage and bad intentions with small damage.
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Piaget’s Stages Explained:
Moral Realists:
Children below age 7.
Judgments based on the scale of damage (pre-operational stage).
Moral Subjectivists:
Children above age 7.
Judgments based on intentions (concrete operational stage).
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Kohlberg’s Moral Dilemma:
Case study presentation: A woman with cancer needing a costly drug.
Mr. Lim, the husband, can only raise half the amount needed.
Discussion on moral actions taken by Mr. Lim when he resorts to stealing the drug.
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Ethical Questions Raised by the Dilemma:
Should Mr. Lim have stolen the drug?
Discussion on right or wrong in this context.
Exploring husbands' duties in dire situations.
Consideration of pharmacist's rights to set prices without legal limits.
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Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development:
Levels and Stages:
Level 1: Preconventional Morality
Punishment = wrong
Reward = right
Level 2: Conventional Morality
3. Consider intentions.
4. Obedience to authority.
Level 3: Postconventional Morality
5. Morally vs. legally right.
6. Consider multiple views.
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Prosocial Behavior:
Exploration of altruism, helping, and sharing.
Contrast between moral dilemmas vs. everyday selfish vs. selfless actions.
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Infants Prefer Helpers:
Research (Hamlin et al., 2007) showing infants’ preference for those who exhibit helping behaviors.
Habituation and choice experiments performed with toys.
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Experiment Findings:
Infants show preference for helpers over hinderers at 6 to 10 months.
Preferences change when visual cues like eyes are removed.
Consistent preferences return in neutral conditions.
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Helping in Toddlers:
18-month-olds showed propensity to assist adults in various scenarios.
Expansively detailed number of helping behaviors observed.
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Summary of Helping Behavior Findings:
Infants show understanding of helping behaviors before personal capability to help.
Positive evaluation of helpers observed; engagement in helping behaviors starts at 18 months.
Connection to understanding of morality questioned.
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Sharing Behavior Study:
Norms vs. Actions assessment in children aged 3 to 8 years regarding sticker sharing.
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Sharing Study Results:
Graph representation of sharing trends between self vs. other over age ranges.
Gradual development of equitable sharing principles noted.
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Summary of Sharing Behavior Findings:
Young children understand the principle of fairness but don’t adhere strictly until later ages.
Sharing may be more cognitively demanding than helping intuitively.
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Antisocial Behavior Discussion:
Questions whether humans are inherently peaceful, learning violence, or vice versa regarding aggression capacity.
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Genetic and Environmental Influences:
Meta-analysis revealing influences on antisocial behavior:
32% genetic influence, 43% environmental influence (Rhee & Waldman, 2002).
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Details on Environmental Influences:
Parenting Styles leading to coercive cycles (Patterson et al., 1992).
Child’s attachment to parents can affect behavior.
Influence of peer groups and media exposure considered.
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Study on TV Violence (Eron, 1987):
Longitudinal study tracking childhood TV preferences correlated with aggression into young adulthood.
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Initial Findings from Eron’s Study:
Aggressive children favoring violent TV shows exhibited higher peer-rated aggression.
Perception of realism in violent content correlated with aggressive tendencies.
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Longitudinal Follow-Up Findings:
Early exposure to violent TV linked with increased aggression and various antisocial behaviors in later life.
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Causation of Aggression from TV Violence:
Studies show children exposed to violent TV displayed more aggression in play scenarios.
Desensitization observed in reactions to staged violence among children who watched violent content.
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Theoretical Framework:
Social Learning Theory (Bandura et al., 1962) as an explanation for the acquisition of aggressive behaviors through imitation.
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Summary of Key Findings:
Early development of concepts of good vs. bad is observed in children.
Piaget and Kohlberg's theories on moral reasoning explored.
Early prosocial behaviors recognized despite later emergence of complex actions like sharing.
Social Learning Theory offers explanation for children’s understanding of morality.