PBIS and the Development of Moral Judgment in Children with EBD

Elizabeth Hardman, Ph.D.

Northcentral UniversityPrescott Valley, Arizona

What is a moral judgment?

A moral judgment is an imperative derived from some rule or principle that is a judgment of value, not fact; a social judgment involving people; prescriptive or normative, and about rights and responsibilities.

The Heinz Delimma (Colby & Kohlberg, 1987/2010)

In another country, a woman was near death from a special kind of cancer. There was one kind of medicine that the doctors thought might save her. The medicine was called radium and a druggist in the woman’s town had recently discovered how to make the medicine. The medicine was expensive to make, but the druggist was charging ten times what it cost him to make the medicine. He paid $400 for the radium, but charged $4000 for a small dose of the medicine. The sick woman’s husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money and tried every legal means, but he could only get together about $2000, which is half of what the medicine costs. He told the druggist that his wife was dying, and asked him to sell it cheaper or let him pay later. But the druggist said, “No, I discovered the medicine and I’m going to make money from it.” So having tried every legal means, Heinz gets desperate and considers breaking into the man’s store to steal the medicine for his wife.

What should Heinz do?

Anatomy of a Moral JudgmentNorm + moral element (modal or value) = complete judgment

Should Heinz steal the drug? (issue life vs. law)

No.

Why?

Because it’s wrong to steal.

Why is it wrong to steal?

Because you will go to jail if you steal.

Law + blame + punishment = judgment

Colby and Kohlberg (1987/2010)

Level 1 Preconventional age < 9

Level 2 Conventionalage 9-20

Level 3 Postconventionalage 20 <

Stage 1 Punishment/ObedienceStage 2 Personal Reward

Stage 3 Good Boy/Nice GirlStage 4 Law and Order

Stage 5 Social ContractStage 6 Universal Ethical Principle

Piaget (1932/1965)

The Practice of Rules—Playing Games

Source of Obligation—Moral Dilemmas Objective Responsibility Collective and

Communicable Responsibility Retributive vs. Distributive

Justice Immanent Justice Equality vs. Authority Justice Among Children

Objective ResponsibilityJohn and Henry (Piaget, 1932/1965)

A little boy named John was in his room playing when his mother called him to dinner. John went into the dining room, but there was a tray with 15 cups sitting in a chair behind the door. John did not know the cups were there, so when he went in, the door knocked against the tray and CRASH went the 15 cups. All of the cups were broken.

Once there was a little boy named Henry. One day when his mother was out, he wanted to get some jam out of the cupboard. But his mother kept the jam high up so he couldn’t get it without permission. To get the jam, Henry climbed up on a chair, stretched out his arm, and knocked over a cup. CRASH, the cup fell down and broke.

Is It Fair?

Which boy was naughtier?

John was naughtier because he broke 15 cups.

Both boys were naughty because one broke 15 cups and the other was trying to get the jam.

Both boys were naughty because they both broke something.

Henry was naughtier because he was trying to get the jam.

Which boy should be punished?

Henry should be punished because he broke a cup while trying to get jam.

Both boys should be punished because one broke 15 cups and the other was trying to get jam.

John should be punished because he broke 15 cups.

Both boys should be punished because they both broke something.

Collective and Communicable Responsibility

During a school picnic, the teacher said that the children could play in a barn if they promised to put everything back as they had found it before leaving. One child took a rake, another took a shovel, and off they went in different directions. One boys took a wheelbarrow and went off by himself to play. While he was playing with the wheelbarrow, it broke so he hid it in the barn while no one was looking. When the teacher checked to see if everything was tidy before leaving, she found the broken wheelbarrow and asked who broke it. The boy who broke it said nothing and the other children did not know who broke it.

Retributive vs Distributive JusticeThe leader of a band of robbers moved away. Charles and Leon both wanted to be the leader, but the group elected Charles. Leon was angry because he did not get to be the leader so he wrote a letter to the police and told them that Charles committed a robbery that the whole band committed. He also told the police where and how to find Charles. The police arrested Charles and now the robbers have to decide how to punish Leon.

Immanent JusticeOnce there were two children who were stealing apples in an orchard. Suddenly a policeman came along. The children tried to run away, but the policeman caught one of them. While the one who got away was going home, he crossed a river on a rotten bridge. Suddenly, the bridge gave way and he fell into the water.

Equality vs AuthorityOnce there was a camp of girl scouts. Each one had to do a job to help with the work. One had to do the shopping, another washed up, another brought in wood, and one swept the floor. One day there was no bread and the one who did the shopping was not there. So the scoutmaster asked one of the scouts who had already done her job to go and fetch the bread.

Justice among ChildrenOnce there was a big girl who was hitting a little girl at school. The little girl couldn’t fight back because she wasn’t strong enough. One day during recess, the little girl thought about hiding the big girl’s lunch so she would have to go hungry.

Piaget (1932/2965)

Age Practice of Rules Source of Obligation

Birth-2 Sensorimotor Non-moral

3-6 Egocentrism Heteronomy

7-910-12 Cooperation [perspective taking]

[mutual consent]

12-adult Codification Autonomy

Definition of EBDEmotional disturbance means a condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child's educational performance:

An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors.

An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers.

Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances.

A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression.

A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.

Emotional disturbance includes schizophrenia. The term does not apply to children who are socially maladjusted, unless it is determined that they have an emotional disturbance under paragraph (c)(4)(i) of this section.

Positive Behavioral Intervention SupportsLearning TheoryAKA Behaviorism

Human behavior, adaptive and maladaptive, is learned as a result of the consequences of the behavior.

R S+/-

Social Learning TheoryAKA Cognitive Behavioral Approach Learning occurs vicariously, not

through direct experience.

Cognitive processes are involved that cannot be observed

Cognitive processes are controlled by reinforcement

1. Attentional

2. Retentional

3. Motor reproductive

4. Incentive and motivational – must have the expectation that the performance of this new behavior result in reinforcement.

Behavioral vs Cognitive ApproachesLearning Theory and Social Learning Theory

Determine intent by observing behavior and the contingencies of reinforcement that maintain it.

Intent of all words, thoughts, and deeds is to seek reinforcement Gain attention Escape or avoidance Stimulation To obtain desired objects

Cognitive Developmental Theory

Determine intent by interpreting reasoning patterns.

Intent can be to obey, avoid punishment, seek reward (stage 2)

Form trusting, mutually respecting relationships (stage 3)

Treat others as they would wish to be treated—reciprocity. (stage 4)

Building relationships with peers and teachersLearning TheorySocial Learning Theory

Punishment and Obedience

Cognitive Developmental Theory

Stage 1: Non moral

Stage 2: Egocentrism I’m bad I have no value (respect)

The End

When children fail to build and maintain relationships with others. They see themselves as outcasts who must fend for themselves

because no one else will.

They may develop emotional disturbance in the form of depression, anxiety, or anger or a combination of any two or three kinds of ED.

Emotional disturbance affects judgment and leads to cognitive distortions about others intentions.

Sometimes depression, anxiety, and anger can occur as a response to a lived experience of poverty, discrimination, and abuse.

Building relationships with peers and teachersLearning TheorySocial Learning Theory

Positive Reinforcement

Cognitive Developmental Theory

Stage 1: Non moral

Stage 2: Egocentrism Builds trust Fosters respect

Stage 3: Cooperation

Stage 4: Codification

PBIS and the Development of Moral Judgment There is no place for punishment and demands for obedience in BIPs

because Appropriate behavior is learned with reinforcement (learning theory) Does not model what we want them to do (social learning theory) Punishment and obedience does not support relationship building, trust,

respect, or cooperation (cognitive development theory)

The point of PBIS is not just to replace maladaptive behaviors with more acceptable replacement behaviors but also to teach children how to build and maintain relationships with peers and teachers—to heal the rift between the child and society.

References Hardman, E. L (in press)

What are they thinking? The moral judgment of children with emotional and behavioral disorders. Remedial and Special Education.

Hardman, E. L. (2012). Three children with emotional/behavioral disorders tell why people do right. International Journal of Special Education, 27(1), 160-176.

Hardman, E. L., & Eslinger, K. Field testing Is It Fair? Developing a measure of young children’s moral judgment. Unpublished manuscript.

Handouts—ILCCBD Wiki