10 Emotional and moral develpoment Flashcards
What is a conscience
an internal regulatory mechanism that increases the individuals ability to conform with standards of conduct accepted in his or her own society
When does the conscience develop? what does it do?
- slowly over time
- 2 year show guilt when they’ve done something wrong
- improves compliance with adults rules and standards
- reigns in anti social behaviour
- can help the child engage in pro social behaviour because they feel guilty about not helping others
Where does a child’s conscience stem from?
primarily reflects the internalised parental standards
When are children more likely to adopt their parents moral values?
- When they are given explanations rather than harsh disciplines for wrong doings
- when they are securely attached
How do fearful children best learn conscience?
- through gentle discipline and rationalisation from the mother
- when given non material incentives to do things
- if the mother disciplines harshly they will tune out and not take on board what she is saying because they are apprehensive and anxious
- discipline arouses fearful children just enough to make them listen
How do fearless children learn best?
- mothers explaining everything to them
- don’t learn from gentle discipline
- aim to please their mothers rather than doing things coz they fear them
- more likely to internalize parental standards when securely attached
What has a huge influence on moral development?
Parental-child disciplinary interactions
-early development of a conscience/guilt is indicative of future moral development and can predict whether or not children will engage in hurtful or problematic behaviour in future.
What is pro social behaviour
helpful behaviour intended to benefit others
Why do children engage in pro social behaviour?
- avoid conflict
- get a reward
- social approval
Why do adults want children to engage in pro social behaviour
- altruistic motives
- empathy and sympathy
- later as a desire to act in ways that are consistent with their conscience and moral principles
Where does altruistic prosocial behaviour come from?
empathy and sympathy
Development of altruistic prosocial behaviour: 1
-infants react to other distress and may not be able to distinguish it from their own
Development of altruistic prosocial behaviour: 2
-around age 2 infants react to others distress still in an egocentric way but are able to distinguish it form their own
Development of altruistic prosocial behaviour: 3
-2-3 infants prosocial behaviour frequency increases but is still not regular
Development of altruistic prosocial behaviour: 4
-pro social behaviours increase into adolescence
Individual differences in prosocial behaviour are due to:
genetic and environmental and cultural factors
-children from chile, kenya etc with extended families are often assigned responsibility for young ones early on
what are the gentic factors that cause individual differences in prosocial behaviour
- little impact
- identical twins are more similar pro socially than fraternal twins
- may arise indirectly due to temperament (childs ability to control emotions. children who experience emotion without getting over whelmed are more likely to be sympathetic)
what are the environmental factors that cause individual differences in prosocial behaviour
- have a big impact
- socialisation in the family
- children are more likely to imitate prosocial behaviour of adults they have a positive relationship with
- opportunities to engage in pro social behaviour
- reasoning in discipline form adults
- exposure to prosocial beliefs and values
What kind of parents promote prosocial behaviour and sympathy the best?
- discipline with reasoning, pointing out consequences for others
- parents who are constructive and supportive
parents who are constructive and supportive are more likely to have children that are
prosocial and sympathetic
How can you promote future willingness to engage in prosocial behaviour?
Provide opportunities for them to engage in prosocial behaviour - e.g chores.
What can cause non altruistic behaviour to continue in children?
- punishment (think they must act pro socially to avoid it)
- material rewards (become reluctant to engage in it if there are no rewards)
antisocial behaviour is
harmful behaviour with the intention of inflicting negative consequences on another
What is the most common form of antisocial behaviour?
Aggression