Chapter 13: Moral & Prosocial Development Flashcards
Define morality
the intuitive sense of right and wrong that guides our own behaviour and leads us to judge and possibly condemn others’ behaviour
Our ________ is unique to humans
morality
- some animals have an understanding of negative consequences
- no other animal species thinks about moral obligation
Utilitarianism
- John Stuart Mill
- the idea that whatever results in the best outcome for the greatest number of people should be done
- intuitively, still seems wrong to us if someone is harmed
The “is ought” fallacy
- whatever is true in nature is morally correct
- but we see abuse cross-culturally and this is immoral
- the fallacy is that we look around us to decide what is right- “the naturalistic fallacy”
20th c views on moral development (a long one)
- Piaget and Kohlberg both think moral judgment is taught (deliberate not intuitive)
- Piaget’s theory of moral judgment: morality of constraint (no grey area, rules are unchanging) > transition period (from 8-10 rules can change and intention begins to matter) > autonomous morality (by 11, consider fairness and equality, rules can be unjust)
- watched kids play games- this is where they learn rules, enforce them, change them
- before 8, kids would see someone making a bigger mess as more problematic, regardless of their attempt to help
- Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Judgment…
- Preconventional: morals focus on reward/punishment
- Conventional: morals focus on social relationships
- Post-Conventional: morals focus on ideals and principles
- 6 stages: obedience, exchange, relationships, social systems, social contracts/individual rights, universal moral principles
- very few people get to the 6th stage
Criticism of Kohlberg
- Carol Gilligan
- disagreed with his subjects being all boys and men
- this caused women to score lower on measures of moral reasoning
- women may think about things differently- focusing on relationships whereas men favour universal principles
- reconsidered cross-culturally, non-industrial societies were not scoring high on Kohlberg’s instrument- nothing more important than relationships when problems are not settled in court of law
- little predictive value- people who score high do not meaningfully act more moral than others
Early Moral Development (4 milestones)
early empathy- 6 months respond to other baby’s cry, 14 months show empathy when experimenter is hurt
helping behaviour- 18 months help someone who has dropped something or needs to open something
recognizing helpful individuals- kids prefer characters who are helpful over those who are a hindrance (5 months prefer prosocial regardless of past behaviour, at 8 months this is not good enough- they perceive justice)
equitable sharing- 15 months look longer at unfair distribution
Social Exchange
- requires specialized cognitive machinery
- recognize and remember individuals
- cheater detection (part of our psychology)
- vampire bats good at this- will not continue social exchange with a non-helpful individual
Incest Avoidance
Westermarck effect: a psychological process that makes sexual attraction unlikely between two people who lived together as children.
- minor marriages produce fewer children because they grew up together
- communal housing in kibbutz rarely result in marriage b/t members
- co-residence predicts how morally wrong sibling sex seems (step siblings more likely to have sex)
Morally Dumbfounded
- our intuition tells us some things are wrong even if we can’t think of a reason
- morality is intuitive rather than rational!
According to our intuitions, a person in a position of authority…
could change social conventions but not moral rules.
- authority who dictates conventional rules is context-specific (teacher cannot control you at home)
- at 3-4 yrs, moral transgressions judged to be serious
- at 3 yrs, more likely to protest morals versus conventions
Define and give Examples of Moral Relativism
moral relativism: the idea that there is not a single set of moral principles that applies to all people, but that what appears to be morally correct can depend on status, social role, religion or perspective
- are moral obligations and prohibitions real? Our moral psychology creates morals. We are instinct blind. Challenges Piaget & Kohlberg.
- might makes right (a society’s view of right and wrong is determined by those in power)
- aristocracy (government where power is in the hands of a small ruling class)
- meritocracy (government where power is in the hands of people based on abilities/achievement rather than wealth/social class)
Define altruism and give possible explanations of altruism among unrelated people
- altruism: a behaviour which reduces the actor’s fitness and increases the recipient’s fitness
- reciprocal altruism: helping another individual and then having the favour returned
- by-product mutualism: if a friend invites you to their home it is rude to pay them.
- By-product mutualism explains friendships
- In the EEA, spending time with adept people comes with great benefits
Turiel’s Social Domain Theory
- universal morals (cheating, stealing) part of our psychology and reliably develops. Differentiate b/t universal morals and social conventions by 3 yrs. About fairness, equality, and justice
- social convention (modesty, nudity, raising hand before speaking) not universal but can be serious. Critical and sensitive periods. Need some environmental input to develop.
- personal choice (hair style, free time) how we do things ourselves
Children believe parents have authority over __________ but not __________
social conventions; moral universals
