Understanding Moral Development: Self-Control and Its Behavioral Manifestations

1. Chapter 14 – Moral Development • Self-Control - behavioral manifestation of morality

2. Learning morality - society’s goal: resist temptation - delay gratification

3. Development of self-control - age 1 learn limits - by 2 inhibit own impulses - by 3 use techniques

4. 4 Learning mechanisms 1. General parenting style Control + caring -> kids learn selfcontrol vs. too strict or too laissez-faire -> kids don’t learn to control selves

5. Modeling - learn to inhibit self by watching model who verbalizes rationale - kids as models: later better at restraint

6. 3. Reinforcement - rewards for alternative behaviors

7. Punishment - best = mild punishment & rationale - sometimes rationale alone is enough -> internal attributions Problems - resentment, coercion, attention for bad behavior

8. 4 Self-Control Methods 1. Freud’s imagery = create image of desired object - but reduces self-control

9. 2. Distraction - focus on alternative activity 3. Self-instruction - talking self through the impulse

10. 4. Create “moral” self-concept - convince children that they are “good” via “dispositional praise” - self-concept directs future behavior

11. Consequences of Self-Control If delay gratification at 4: - boys at 11 = better impulse control, attention span, & behavior - girls at 11 = more socially competent - both at 15-18 = better self-control, reasoning, SAT scores

12. Prosocial Behavior Development • Toddlers - beginning to help others - limited by cognitive skills

13. Preschool/Elementary - sharing, helping - motivated by rewards & authority - later growth of prosocial behavior without rewards

14. Adolescents/Adults - concern for fairness, helping others - behavior based on principles

15. Skills needed Perspective-taking - more prosocial if understand others’ feelings - lack of egocentrism

16. Empathy - feeling what another feels

17. Moral Reasoning - belief that one should behave a certain way - preschoolers don’t use fairness - by school age, simple view of fairness - later appreciate complexity of fairness

18. Influences on prosocial behavior 1. Personal Responsibility - when we feel responsible, we are more likely to help Personal responsibility decreased by: - diffusion of responsibility - authority figures

19. 2. Mood - more prosocial if happy 3. Cost to self - more prosocial if no cost to self

20. 4. Culture - more altruism in nonindustrialized nations - collectivist vs. individualistic societies

21. Percentages of children above altruism mean • Nonindustrialized Kenya 100 Mexico 73 Philippines 63

22. Industrialized Okinawa 29 India 25 US 8

23. Aggression Origins of Aggression 1. Biological/instinctual - Freud - Lorenz

24. 2. Cognitive/Intentional - aggression is goal-driven Hostile goal = intent to harm Instrumental goal = gain own ends

25. Development of Aggression Infants & young toddlers (< 1.5 yrs) - aggression without intent to harm

26. Preschoolers (2-5) - intimidate to gain own ends - rise in instrumental aggression

27. a. 2-3 - more physical retaliation - most aggression is instrumental b. 3-5 - less physical aggression - more verbal aggression - increasing hostile aggression

28. Elementary School (6-11) - react with aggression to provocation

29. Stability of Aggression very stable - from toddlerhood - for boys and girls - boys are more aggressive

30. Sources of Aggression 1. Frustration - frustration-aggression hypothesis

31. 2. Parents Punishment - teach physical aggression Parental style - model lack of concern for others - do not monitor/supervise - use physical discipline more

32. Sex Differences - males more physically aggressive worldwide - males are targets of aggression - testosterone + socialization - girls: “relational” aggression

33. 4. Culture - some societies are more violent

34. 5. Media - Bandura’s Bobo doll - “good guys” rewarded for violence

35. General findings: - consistent link between TV violence & child aggression - risks: learning to behave violently desensitization to violence fearfulness - perpetrators unpunished - few consequences for victim

36. 6. Individual Differences - minority of very aggressive kids a. expectations b. domination of others c. biased cognitions - assume hostile intent • Sum: many possible contributors

37. Controlling Aggression 1. Freud’s catharsis - venting anger to decrease it - does not work

38. 2. Eliminate reinforcement a. incompatible response technique - ignore mild aggression & reinforce good behavior b. time out - for serious aggression - removes attention for aggression - does not model aggression - helps child gain self-control

39. 3. Model & coach - teach nonaggressive conflict resolution • Teach empathy - train awareness of others’ feelings

40. Moral Reasoning Dilemma = competing demands for justice • Kohlberg’s Stages 1. Preconventional Level - moral judgments are based on physical consequences, authority/power, own needs & desires

41. 2. Conventional Level - reasoning based on conforming to social norms, doing what is “right”/duty, wanting the approval of others

42. 3. Postconventional Level - based on universal, abstract principles - fairness/justice

43. Judy is 12 years old. Her mother promised that she could go to a special rock concert.

44. Support for Kohlberg 1. Correlation between age & level of moral reasoning 2. Sequence of stages 3. Relation between moral reasoning & behavior

45. Criticisms of Kohlberg • Highest principle may differ by society • Highest stage reached • Male vs. female morality

46. Gilligan’s Theory • Morality = care & responsibility in relationships - integration of rights & responsibility

47. 3 stages • Self - concern solely with own needs (selfish) • Others - other’s needs at expense of own (selfless) • Both - considering own & others’ needs

48. Boys and girls show both justice and care morals • Conclusion: Not one morality (justice), but possibly many

49. 1. Preconventional Level - consequences, authority/power, needs & desires 2. Conventional Level - social norms, “right”/duty, approval 3. Postconventional Level - based on universal, abstract principles