Moral Development

Growing Morality Infants

uncomfortable when others are hurt interest in others

Early Childhood aware that harmful actions are wrong cooperation & negotiation begin to develop

Middle Childhood understand fairness, capacity to feel guilt & shame more influenced by peers, increasingly prosocial

Adolescence more advanced reasoning personal needs & self-interests affect decisions

Early Theories Begins with external control Moves to internal control

Freud / Erikson Behaviorism Social Learning Theory Constructivism

Personal preferences Social conventions Moral imperatives

Theory of Moral Development

Lawrence Kohlberg

6 stages Used moral

dilemmas to determine

Kohlberg’s Stages Level One

Stage 1: Punishment-avoidance and obedience

Stage 2: Exchange of favors / self interest

Level Two Stage 3: Good boy/good girl Stage 4: Law and order

Level Three Stage 5: Social contract Stage 6: Universal ethical principle

Kohlberg’s DilemmaIn Europe, a woman was near death from a rare form

of cancer. There was one drug that the doctors thought might save her, a form of radium that a druggist in the same town had recently discovered. The druggist was charging $2,000, ten times what the drug cost him to make.

The sick woman's husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money, but he could only get together about half of what the drug cost. 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. So Heinz got desperate and broke into the man's store to steal the drug for his wife.

Heinz Dilemma Reasoning

LEVEL ONE Stage 1: Punishment avoidance

pro – “Hopefully he won’t get caught.” con – “He’ll go to jail.”

Stage 2: Exchange of favors/ self-interest pro – “Heinz will be lonely if his wife dies.” con – “Prison is an awful place.”

Heinz Dilemma Reasoning

LEVEL TWO Stage 3: Good boy/good girl

pro – “He’ll show what a good husband he is.” con – “Other people will think he is a bad ma

n.”

Stage 4: Law and order pro – “A husband has a duty to care for his

wife.” con – “It’s against the law.”

Heinz Dilemma Reasoning

LEVEL THREE Stage 5: Social contract

pro – “The law isn’t intended to cause someone’s death.”

con – “The druggist’s rights aren’t being respected.”

Stage 6: Universal ethical principle pro – “Saving a life is more important than

property.” con – “If he steals the drug, others who

need the drug can’t buy it.”

Gilligan’s TheoryCarol Gilligan

Questioned Kohlberg’s theory

Identified 3 stages

Development of Aggression

At what age?

Types of aggression Instrumental Hostile

Overt Relational

Which gender is most aggressive?

Fostering Prosocial Behaviors

Direct teaching

Label appropriate behaviors as they occur

Plan cooperative activities

Expose children to models of prosocial behavior

Clear expectations for behavior

Induction

Discipline vs Punishment

discipline is long-term fosters self-regulation, respect,

problem-solving; fosters internal motivation

punishment is short-term stops a behavior

positive discipline

Discipline StrategiesEstablish and maintain logical routines

Set and maintain clear expectations: clarify wanted behaviors

Use the environment to support expectations

Offer choices: fewer w/ young children more open-ended for older children

Offer opportunities for problem-solving, practice and role-playing

Consider how big a deal it is; choose to ignore small transgressions

Setting Limits

Acknowledge child’s opinion & wishes

Explain your reasoning

Model using different perspectives

Promote children’s problem-solving; negotiate if appropriate

Be consistent

Use logical consequences when limits are ignored