Social cognition and antisocial behaviour

Social Cognition Definition:

Understanding perceptions, thoughts, emotions, motives, and behaviors of self and others.

Key Concepts of Social Cognition

  • Theory of Mind (ToM): Ability to comprehend others' beliefs and desires; understand they are different from own

    • develops between ages 4-6.

    • Sally Anne Test: If children pick ‘basket’ they understand sally’s perception is different from own / reality (TOM)

  • Perspective Taking: Begins around age 12, allowing children to understand multiple viewpoints. Related to parental modeling and peer relationships.

Social Cognition in Adulthood

  • Older adults can view both sides of arguments; social activities enhance cognitive skills

  • Social cognitive skills retained

  • 'Post Formal Reasoning' may emerge, involving complex reasoning styles.

ToM link to morality

  • can be used prosocially

  • can be used antisocially (immoral behaviour) - bullying and lying

Morality

  • Definition of Morality: Ability to discern right from wrong and act accordingly.

  • Components:

    • Cognitive: Understanding right and wrong; perspective taking.

    • Affective: Emotions like guilt and pride related to moral actions.

    • Behavioral: Implementation of moral beliefs through actions.

Theories of Moral Development

  • Cognitive Developmental Theory: Stages of moral reasoning based on the work of Piaget and Kohlberg.

    • Piaget: Children's moral reasoning evolves in stages as they interact with their environment

      • 6-10: wrongness judged using consequences

      • 11: wrongness judged using intentions, rules more flexible

    • Kohlberg

      • Moral understanding

        • drives moral action

        • develops through direct and repeated socio-moral experiences with moral conflicts/dilemmas

      • Stages of moral reasoning:

        • Preconventional:

          • Punishment & obedience

          • Instrumental hedonism (only wrong if caught)

        • Conventional:

          • Good boy/good girl (approval)

          • Authority and social order (illegalness)

        • Post Conventional:

          • Individual rights, majority focused

          • Individual principles of conscience

      • Critiques include cultural bias and an assumption of reasoning correlating with moral behavior.

  • Psychoanalytic Theory:

    • Motivation for moral behaviour: avoid negative emotions, experience positive ones

      • Must be cognitively developed

    • Empathy

    • Super-ego (morality principle) - development through identification with parents.

  • Social Learning Theory:

    • Behaviour conforms to moral standards to avoid censure (negative judgement)

    • Developed through reinforcement from interactions with parents and peers

Moral Identity

  • 0-6yrs - idea of ‘moral self’

  • 8-12 yrs - moral identity emerges

  • CHildren - motivation for moral identity: protecting social reputation

  • Adulthood - moral identity = 'abstract, internalised self-ideal'

  • CUltural influences: AUtonomy, community and divinity

Antisocial Behavior: Overview

  • Definition: Behavior that harms or violates the rights of others.

  • Age Factors: Youths are more likely to reoffend; peaks in teenage years due to peer pressure and brain maturity.

Moffitt's Taxonomy of Antisocial Behavior

  • Early Onset/Life-course Persistent: Antisocial behaviour begins in childhood, continues through adolescence / adulthood

  • Late Onset/Adolescent Limited: Often associated with peer pressure, antisocial behavior often ceases as prosocial rewards become more attractive.

Maintenance of Antisocial Behaviour

  • Influenced by peer associations and a lack of alternative choices.

    • Social Information Processing Model (Dodge (1993):

Desistence of Antisocial Behaviour

  • Maturity

  • Assessment of future implications - cost/rewards

  • Development of prosocial behaviours (with age?)