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Department of Psychology,

Neuroscience, and Behaviourhttp://www.intropsych.net

Copyright 2006-2010. All rights reserved.

Child Development Topics

Moral Development

What is morality?

DVD message Drinking underage Voting What else?

Definition

Morality:

Capacity to-

1. Distinguish right from wrong

2. Act on this distinction

3. Experience pride/guilt

Morality

Developmental research: Moral Affect

Pride, guilt or shame at conduct

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Developmental research: Moral reasoning

Moral affect Moral reasoningMoral Behaviour

Developmental research: Moral Behaviour

Moral reasoning: Piaget stages

Premoral: littleawareness of rules

Heteronomous :rules of authorityfigures unalterable

Autonomous: rulescan be challenged

Moral reasoning: Kohlbergs Levels & Stages

Levels&S

tages Pre-conventional

1. Obedience andpunishment

2. Self-interest

Conventional

3. Interpersonalaccord & conformity

4. Maintain social-order

Post-conventional

5. Social contract

6. Universal ethicalprinciples

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Moral reasoning: Kohlbergs Levels & Stages

Levels&S

tages

1. Obedience andpunishment

Consequences determinegoodness/badness

2. Self-interest Whats in it forme

3. Interpersonal accord &conformity

Good boy/good girl

4. Maintain social-order Law & order

5. Social contractWill of majority, can

challenge

6. Universal ethicalprinciples

Self-chosen ethicalprinciples

Example Answers

Stage 1: Punishment-and-obedienceorientation

Example Answers

Stage 2: Nave hedonism

Example Answers

Stage 3: Good boy or good girlorientation

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Example Answers

Stage 4: Social order-maintaining morality

Example Answers

Stage 5: Social-contract orientation

Example Answers

Stage 6: Morality of individual principles ofconscience

Support for Kohlberg

MoralMaturity

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Kohlberg Support-Longitudinal

Ann Colby and colleagues:

20 year study

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

10 16 24 36

%

ofReasoning

Preconventional

Conventional

Postconventional

Cognitive Growth Prerequisite

Social-Experience Hypothesis

Criticisms: Gender or Cultural Bias

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Shweder et al.

1.A young married woman is beatenblack and blue by her husband aftergoing to a movie without hispermission despite having beenwarned not to do so again.

2.A brother and sister decide to getmarried and have children.

3.The day after his father died, the

oldest son in a family has a haircutand eats chicken.

High Low

Med. Med.

Low High

Criticism: Moral Conduct

Shaffer (2005):Most researchers found moraljudgements do not predict behaviour insituations where they are induced tocheat or violate moral norms.

Kohlberg research: Will college studentscheat on a test when given anopportunity?

Conventional level 55%

Postconventional level 15%

Developing Morally Mature Children

(included preschoolers)

Type of Discipline

Permissive non-

intervention

Love

Withdrawal

Power

Assertion

Induction

Developing Morally Mature Children

Effects of three disciplinary strategies

Type of Discipline

Power

Assertion

Love

Withdrawal

Induction

Positive

correlation

7 8 38

Negative

Correlation

32 11 6

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Childrens View

(included preschoolers)

Type of Discipline

Permissive non-

intervention

Love

Withdrawal

Power

Assertion

Induction

Favoured

0 0 2nd choice 1st choice

Summary: Cognitive and Social Interactions

Cognitivedevelopment

Socialinteractions