KHA302 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Information Processing, Psychodynamics, Phallic Stage
30 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Lifespan developmental psychology week 10: moral development
- Morality: system of values and systems of conduct based on the distinction
between right and wrong
oUse to be philosophy
oNow studied in psychology
oMore recent attempts to explain why people think or behave morally
oOther-centered vs. person centered outlook
Philosophy vs. psychology
Thinking of other people: other cultures
Moral reasoning across the lifespan:
- Moral reasoning: the logical process of thinking and deciding if an act is right
or wrong in moral terms
- As you develop you mature in:
oJudgments
oBehaviours
oCognitions
oEmotions
oSocial aspects
- Infancy:
oBabies and toddlers are generally considered to be amoral
Not immoral or moral
Just lacking in moral guide
oThrough social learning experiences, children seem to internalize
moral rules
o13-15 months: show beginnings of empathic concerns for others
o18-24 months: show distress when anticipating disapproval for
violating standards
odespite earlier studies suggestion confusion, young children can
generally distinguish between someone’s intentions and the
consequences of their acts
ochildren distinguish:
moral rules
social conventional rules
oacquiring theory of mind with taking others’ perspectives and being
good to others
in a way you think they would appreciate
how others feel different to you
- Adolescents:
oReasoning continues to develop during teenage years
Not just doing things because others have told you
Start to internalize moral rule from culture
Not everyone however
Juvenile delinquency:
Little empathy and concern for others
Little guilt over their acts
To the extent you would see in their peers
- Adulthood:
oMost findings based on Kohlberg theory
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
oSome moral development still occurs in people’s 20-302
oExperiencing real moral dilemmas can help to deal with them in the
future
oBut no obvious major further development
Theories of moral development:
- Psychodynamic theory: focus on emotions of guilt and shame
oBefore age of 5: parents enforce standards
Of goodness and morality
These often conflict with desires of children: basic and intrinsic
oAfter age of 5: internalize parent’s standards
Superego now guides own behaviour
oAdolescence:
Superego becomes more independent
oMoral sentiment begins as children:
Develop empathy
Begin to consider others’ perspective and welfare
oThe stronger the desires, the stronger the guilt: this is what stops you
doing immoral things
oFreud’s theory mostly now unsupported:
Morally mature children come from warm, responsive parents
Not as suggested by Freud: cold, threatening parents
Males don’t end up having stronger superegos than females (as
suggested by Freud; need their mothers love)
Moral development seems to begin before Phallic stage, and
extends well beyond age 6-7
oSome themes still important:
Guilt, shame, repression make difference to experiences of
world
Early relationships with parents very important
This motivate later behaviour
Internalize moral standards in some way, if they’re to behave
morally when no authority figure
- Cognitive-development theories:
oFocus on moral reasoning
oChildren develop their own idea of cognition on their own
Rather than being told
They learn from their environment
oStage based
oPiaget for example
oNeed to be able to take others’ perspective from a social point of view
oEngage in reciprocity: more fair and moral in this way
oEssential point: not what we do but why we do
As explained by Kohlberg theory
oPiaget: moral development
Clinical interviews determined these stages
Asked about moral dilemmas, games of marbles
1. Pre-moral period: you cannot consider children moral beings
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Moral reasoning: the logical process of thinking and deciding if an act is right or wrong in moral terms. As you develop you mature in: judgments, behaviours, cognitions, emotions, social aspects. Infancy: babies and toddlers are generally considered to be amoral. Moral rules social conventional rules: acquiring theory of mind with taking others" perspectives and being good to others in a way you think they would appreciate how others feel different to you. Adolescents: reasoning continues to develop during teenage years. Not just doing things because others have told you. Start to internalize moral rule from culture. To the extent you would see in their peers. Adulthood: most findings based on kohlberg theory, some moral development still occurs in people"s 20-302, experiencing real moral dilemmas can help to deal with them in the future, but no obvious major further development. Psychodynamic theory: focus on emotions of guilt and shame: before age of 5: parents enforce standards.
