life-span human development, fifth edition, carol k. sigelman and elizabeth a. rider chapter 13...

Life-Span Human Development, Fifth Edition, Carol K. Sigelman and Elizabeth A. RiderChapter 13

Chapter 13

Social Cognition and Moral Development


Chapter 13: Social Cognition and Moral Development

• Social cognition: ability to understand

psychological differences in others

– Adopt other’s perspectives

• Theory of Mind: False Belief Task

– Where will Sally look for marble when she returns? (See next slide)

– Used to predict and explain human behavior before 4 yrs of age

• “he wanted to. . .” “he intended to. .”


Figure 13.1


Developing a Theory of Mind

• Attentive parents

• Joint attention

• Pretend play

• Imitation

• Social experiences

• Talking about mental states

• Sensitivity to feelings of others


Nature and Nurture

• Nature: Theory of mind proved adaptive

– Functioning in a social group

• Gain resources and survive

• Bargaining, conflict resolution, cooperation

• Nurture: Acquiring language and interaction

– Having siblings, sensitive parents

– Using mental states to explain behavior

• “How do you think she felt?”


Person Perception

• Psychological traits observed

– Used to explain behavior

– By about age 7 or 8

• Understanding personality

– Through adolescence

– Used to evaluate others


Role-Taking Skills

• The ability to adopt another’s perspective

– Moving away from egocentrism

– Essential in thinking about moral issues

• Beginning of empathy – about age 2

• 3-6 yr olds – egocentric

• 12+ - multiple perspectives

• Socially isolated older adults decline related to processing speed


Perspectives on Moral Development

• Three components of morality

– 1) Cognitive: Distinguish right from wrong

– 2) Behavioral: Act accordingly (Prosocial)

– 3) Affective: Feel pride and guilt or shame

• Empathy: a vicarious experience

• Most are motivated to avoid negative emotions


Psychoanalytic Theory

• Superego: conscience

– Oedipus Complex

– Internalization of parental morals

• Emotion important in morality

• Responsive parenting important

• Gender differences unsupported


Cognitive-Developmental Theory

• Piaget’s views

– Premoral Period: not moral beings

– Heteronomous Morality: ages 6-10

• Believe in rules from parents

• Consequences/amount of damage

– Autonomous: at ages10-11

• Rules are agreements – not absolutes

• Intention more important than consequences


Kohlberg: Reasoning about Moral Dilemmas

• Preconventional: egocentric

– Punishment and obedience

– Instrumental hedonism

• Conventional: consideration of others

– Good boy/girl morality

– Authority/social order maintaining

• Postconventional: consideration of all

– Morality of contract

– Individual principles of conscience


Social Learning Theory

• Moral Behavior (Bandura)

• Cognitive self-regulation

– Anticipation, apply consequences to self

– Moral disengagement

• No self condemnation for immoral acts

• Situational context important


Early Moral Training

• Children internalize moral standards

• By 18-24 mo. learn through experiences to:

– 1) Associate negative emotions with violating rules

• Positive relationship w/parent important

– 2) Exert self-control when tempted

• Prosocial behavior by age 2 (and earlier)

• Punishment must always be accompanied by an explanation


Intentions and Rules: Research

• Piaget: consequences vs. intentions

– Nelson: 3 yr. olds can judge intention

– Theory of mind: “I didn’t mean it!”

• Piaget: questioning rules

– Turiel: moral rules by age 2 1/2

– Adult rules often questioned


Raising Moral Children

• Social Learning Theory

– R+ moral behavior

– Punish immoral behavior

– Model moral behavior

• Hoffman: Three Approaches to Discipline

– Love withdrawal: negative effects

– Power assertion: moral immaturity

– Induction: related to moral maturity


Temperament and Moral Development

• Fearful, inhibited children

– Become more fearful when reprimanded

– Use gentle discipline

• Fearless, uninhibited children

– Relationship with parent important

• “Goodness of fit”

• What works for one child may not for another


The Adolescent

• Changes in moral reasoning

– Shift to conventional reasoning

– Identity includes moral and values

• Two kinds of antisocial youth

– 1) Temporary in adolescence

– 2) Chronic/seriously aggressive

• Less empathy for distress of others

• Little remorse for criminal behavior


Dodge’s Social Information-Processing Model

• Individual’s reaction to frustration, anger

– Not simply social cues

– Deficient information processing

– For most, accuracy improves with age

– Aggressive kids show a bias toward attributing hostile intent/motive

– Also choose aggressive response

– Rejection, abuse in upbringing


Patterson’s Coercive Family Environments

• Ineffective parenting in childhood

• Family members in power struggle

– Try to control each other coercively

– Threatening, hitting, even abuse

• Unpleasant aggressive child

– Performs poorly in school

– Disliked by other children

• Chooses aggressive peer group


Nature-Nurture

• Inherit predisposition for aggression

• Behavior evokes coercive parenting

• Parenting strengthens aggression

• Less opportunity to learn emotional control

• Exposure to violence in society

• Lower SES: violence to solve problems

• Both bullies and victims of bullies more likely to behave violently


The Adult

• Postconventional reasoning is possible

• Stable through about age 75

• Important moral lessons learned in life

• Spirituality: search for meaning in life

– Evident among reflective adults

• Religion: Little change even in old age


Advanced Moral Reasoning

• Necessary cognitive skills

– Perspective-taking

– Formal operations

• Social learning experiences

– Interactions with parents

– Discussions with peers

– Higher education

– Democracy


Kohlberg in Perspective

• Sequence supported

• Devalued parental influence not supported

• Emphasis on peer contributions supported

• Cultural bias

• Liberal bias

• Gender bias not supported

life-span human development, fifth edition, carol k. sigelman and elizabeth a. rider chapter 13...

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