moral development

Question 1

what do theories of moral development aim to explain?

Answer 1

how moral values, judgements and behaviours develop over time

Question 2

what is the sociobiological perspective on morality?

Answer 2

morality has an innate, evolutionary basis

Question 3

how does the psychoanalytic perspective explain morality?

Answer 3

morality develops through internalisation of parental standards (Freud)

Question 4

how does the social learning perspective explain morality?

Answer 4

moral behaviour is learned through observation, imitation and reinforcement (Bandura)

Question 5

what key aspect of morality did Piaget and Kohlberg focus on?

Answer 5

moral reasoning

Question 6

how did Piaget study moral development?

Answer 6

by observing children playing games and conducting open-ended interviews

Question 7

what was Piaget interested in when using moral dilemmas?

Answer 7

whether children focused on intention or outcome

Question 8

what is heteronomous morality?

Answer 8

an early stage (up to ~7 years) where outcomes matter more than intentions

Question 9

what is another name for heteronomous morality?

Answer 9

morality of constraint

Question 10

what is autonomous morality?

Answer 10

a later stage (around 11-12 years+) where intentions are seen as paramount

Question 11

what is another name for autonomous morality?

Answer 11

morality of cooperation

Question 12

what drives the shift from heteronomous to autonomous morality?

Answer 12

cognitive development (e.g. reduced egocentrism) and peer interaction

Question 13

how is this shift reflected in children’s understanding of rules?

Answer 13

rules are seen as flexible and negotiable rather than fixed

Question 14

what methodological issues affected Piaget’s findings?

Answer 14

high task demands

Question 15

what abilities may Piaget have underestimated in young children?

Answer 15

understanding of intention and authority

Question 16

what theoretical criticism is made of Piaget’s account?

Answer 16

lack of clarity about what exactly is developing

Question 17

what was Kohlberg’s main contribution to moral development theory?

Answer 17

a stage theory (6 stages across 3 levels) of moral reasoning based on hypothetical dilemmas

Question 18

what characterises the preconventional level?

Answer 18

morality based on consequences and personal gain

Question 19

what is stage 1 of moral reasoning?

Answer 19

punishment and obedience orientation

Question 20

what is stage 2 of moral reasoning?

Answer 20

instrumental (self-interest) orientation

Question 21

what characterises the conventional level?

Answer 21

morality based on social rules and approval

Question 22

what is stage 3 of moral reasoning?

Answer 22

good boy / good girl orientation

Question 23

what is stage 4 of moral reasoning?

Answer 23

social system / law-and-order orientation

Question 24

what characterises the post conventional level?

Answer 24

morality based on abstract principles

Question 25

what is stage 5 of moral reasoning?

Answer 25

social contract orientation

Question 26

what is stage 6 of moral reasoning?

Answer 26

universal ethical principles

Question 27

who criticised Kohlberg's theory for gender bias?

Answer 27

Carol Gilligan

Question 28

what was Gilligan's main argument?

Answer 28

Kohlberg's theory prioritised justice over care

Question 29

according to Gilligan, how do moral problems arise?

Answer 29

from conflicting responsibilities rather than competing rights

Question 30

is there strong evidence for gender differences in Kohlberg stages?

Answer 30

no

Question 31

what subtle gender difference has been found?

Answer 31

females may emphasise care slightly more than males, with more similarities than differences

Question 32

what did Miller & Bersoff (1992) study?

Answer 32

moral reasoning in American and Indian participants

Question 33

what type of dilemmas were used in Miller & Bersoff (1992)?

Answer 33

conflicts between justice and interpersonal obligations

Question 34

how did Indians typically resolve the dilemmas in Miller & Bersoff (1992)?

Answer 34

by prioritising interpersonal obligations

Question 35

how did Americans typically resolve the dilemmas in Miller & Bersoff (1992)?

Answer 35

by prioritising justice-based principles

Question 36

did age moderate cultural differences in Miller & Bersoff (1992)?

Answer 36

no

Question 37

how did Indians and Americans differ in how they categorised their decisions in Miller & Bersoff (1992)?

Answer 37

Indians framed them as moral; Americans framed interpersonal choices as personal

Question 38

what is the moral domain?

Answer 38

concerns violations of others' rights and welfare

Question 39

what is the social-conventional domain?

Answer 39

concerns violations of social norms and conventions

Question 40

does the definition of morality vary? if so, how by?

Answer 40

yes, by culture and social class

Question 41

how do children differentiate moral and social-conventional violations?

Answer 41

by seriousness, authority independence and concern for harm

Question 42

how does early family experience shape moral development?

Answer 42

through emotionally intense interactions e.g. sibling conflict

Question 43

how do parental responses influence moral understanding?

Answer 43

emotion-focused responses promote moral reasoning more than rule-based ones

Question 44

how do social responses differ for moral vs social-conventional violations?

Answer 44

moral violations require reparation; social conventional violations require restoring order

Question 45

where is attention focused after social-conventional violations?

Answer 45

on the self e.g. embarrassment, ridicule

Question 46

where is attention focused after moral violations?

Answer 46

on the victim and consequences for others

Question 47

what did Banerjee, Bennett & Luke (2010a) investigate?

Answer 47

whether children link rule violations to self- vs other-focused outcomes

Question 48

what age gaps were studied in Banerjee, Bennett & Luke (2010a)?

Answer 48

8 and 10 year olds

Question 49

what types of outcomes were studied in Banerjee, Bennett & Luke (2010a)?

Answer 49

self-focused e.g. ridicule and other-focused e.g. apologising

Question 50

what two categories of rule violations did children identify in Banerjee, Bennett & Luke (2010a)?

Answer 50

norm deviations and violations of others' rights

Question 51

what did Banerjee, Bennett & Luke (2010b) study?

Answer 51

children's use of apologies and excuses after rule violations

Question 52

what motives did children recognise for apologies / excuses in Banerjee, Bennett & Luck (2010b)?

Answer 52

avoiding punishment, maintaining relationships, protecting self-image

Question 53

how does understanding of the motives in Banerjee, Bennett & Luck (2010b) change with age?

Answer 53

increases

Question 54

for which violations were strategic accounts more common in Banerjee, Bennett & Luck (2010b)?

Answer 54

social-conventional violations

Question 55

how do self-conscious emotions change with age?

Answer 55

increase from ages 4 to 9, especially for social-conventional violations

Question 56

why is moral development considered domain-specific?

Answer 56

children distinguish moral from social-conventional issues early on