Moral DevelopmentWhat is morality?“What is moral is what you feel good after and whit is moral is what you feel bad after” – HemmingwayPrinciples concerning right vs. wrong and good vs. bad behaviorPrescriptive: rules people should follow in their interactions with othersMoral Reasoning – Piaget and KohlbergTied to cognitive developmentInvariant stagesTested with vignettes and moral dilemmasTested mostly boysPiagetPiagetian Vignette 1:Story of a boy who accidentally knocks off tray of fifteen cupsPiagetian Vignette 2:Boy trying to get jam and knocked over one cupPiaget – Heteronomous Stage (5-8 years)Think the boy who broke 15 cups (accidentally) was more wrongConsequences > intentionsRight and wrongRules can’t be changedPiaget – Autonomous Stage (10 years)The boy who broke one cup more wrong (broke it deviously)Intentions > consequencesCooperation and equalityRules are alterableInstrumental HelpingVaish et al: 3 year olds saw an actor who was either:HarmfulTried (but failed) to be harmfulWas accidentally harmfulHelpfulDV: who did kids help?Kids helped actors in last 2 conditions significantly more than first 2 conditionsPaying attention to intentionsIntentions > outcomesMessage: 3 year olds taking intentions into account, unlike Piaget saidKohlbergExpanded on PiagetM.D. (moral development) continues over lifespanMaturation and socializationReasoning > responsesHeinz Dilemma (video)Read story to kid and ask questions afterMan named Heinz steals life-saving drug for dying wifeKids asked if it was right to stealA lot said noPreconventionalStage 1: Obedience/Punishment AvoidanceHow do I avoid punishment?Stage 2: Self-InterestWhat’s in it for me?Stage 3: “Good girl/nice boy”What is the nice thing to do?Stage 4: Law and OrderHow do I maintain social order?Stage 5: Social Contract/Utilitarian (“the greater good”)What makes for a good society?Stage 6: Universal Ethical Principles (adherence to justice, rights, equality, etc.)Law aside, what is the right thing to do?In the news – Recent moral dilemma (video)Man may be sent to prison after clerical errorNever given court appointment for decadesCritiques of Kohlberg2 stages simultaneously/context-dependent reasoning?Based on western values  Buddisht monks <laymen?Underestimated nurture of moral developmentEnvironment really importantCarol GilliganKohlberg based on boysGirls value caring and sensitivity to other’s needsJonathon HaidtMoral emotion and intuitionReasoning comes later!Pro-socialityAltruismSharingEmpathyNaturally prosocial?Born good? (youtube video)Puppet shows for kids that tried to show differences between right/wrong¾ of babies chose nice puppet rather than mean puppetat 5 months oldWhen do kids produce prosocial behaviors?Mothers’ reports of children’s responses to others’ distressReport that it starts around 15-20 monthsAltruistic HelpingExperimental: 18 month olds response to adult who is struggling to reach a goalControl: Same task, adult not strugglingExperiment > controlHumans as natural helpers?Also tested with chimps  helped, but less oftenNature & Nurure?Raising Pro-social kidsAuthoritative parenting – WHY good and bad?Scaffold EmpathyModel prosocial behaviorsNY Times Article (4/11/14)Grusec and Redler:Praise > rewardsPraise charter to child, not actionPraise more influential at age 8AntisocialityThis American Life Podcast: Bad BabyKid had almost sociopathic behavior as a little kid, remember it 30 years laterKnown for being evil as kidIn supermarket, yelled out “I don’t want cat food for supper again”Predictors of DelinquencyLow cognitive controlPeer influenceInconsistent/permissive behaviorLow SESMales > femalesNurture: Political Violence and MoralityNormalization of violenceDisruption of moral agency = connecting actions to mental statesRight vs. wrong does not = own actionsViolence is not a personal choiceAdaptive?14 year old: Colombiainability to manage aggressive impulsesReferences to observable behaviorsAbsence of references to mental statesPerpetrator  victimN/N InteractionBiology and experience contribute to prosocial and antisocial behaviorMore examples:Strong expression of genetic tendency for aggression when peers are aggressiveBrendgenEasy temperaments  warmer parenting?Parents with genetic propensity to be aggressive may use harsher disciplineChild Psychology 560: Moral & Gender Role Development (1)03/04/2014Moral Development -What is morality?o“What is moral is what you feel good after and whit is moral is what you feel bad after” – Hemmingway oPrinciples concerning right vs. wrong and good vs. bad behavioroPrescriptive: rules people should follow in their interactions with othersMoral Reasoning – Piaget and Kohlberg-Tied to cognitive development -Invariant stages-Tested with vignettes and moral dilemmas-Tested mostly boysPiaget -Piagetian Vignette 1:oStory of a boy who accidentally knocks off tray of fifteen cups-Piagetian Vignette 2: oBoy trying to get jam and knocked over one cup-Piaget – Heteronomous Stage (5-8 years)oThink the boy who broke 15 cups (accidentally) was more wrong Consequences > intentions Right and wrong Rules can’t be changed-Piaget – Autonomous Stage (10 years)oThe boy who broke one cup more wrong (broke it deviously)Intentions > consequencesCooperation and equality Rules are alterable -Instrumental Helping oVaish et al: 3 year olds saw an actor who was either: Harmful Tried (but failed) to be harmful Was accidentally harmfulHelpful oDV: who did kids help?Kids helped actors in last 2 conditions significantly more than first 2 conditions Paying attention to intentionsIntentions > outcomesoMessage: 3 year olds taking intentions into account, unlike Piaget said Kohlberg-Expanded on Piaget-M.D. (moral development) continues over lifespan -Maturation and socialization -Reasoning > responses-Heinz Dilemma (video)oRead story to kid and ask questions after oMan named Heinz steals life-saving drug for dying wifeoKids asked if it was right to steal A lot said no -PreconventionaloStage 1: Obedience/Punishment AvoidanceHow do I avoid punishment?oStage 2: Self-InterestWhat’s in it for me?oStage 3: “Good girl/nice boy”What is the nice thing to do?oStage 4: Law and OrderHow do I maintain social order?oStage 5: Social Contract/Utilitarian (“the greater good”)What makes for a good society?oStage 6: Universal Ethical