Effect of morality on pro - social and anti - social behaviour

Question 1

Morality definition

Answer 1

• Understanding what is right and wrong in how we think and behave. It includes being honest, truthful and respectful in your own actions

Question 2

Summary of theory

Answer 2

• A person with low level of moral reasoning, is more likely to behave anti-socially and obey depending on what’s it got for them than a person with high level of moral reasoning

Question 3

Procedure

Answer 3

• Kohlberg conducted a longitudinal study into morality. He followed the same group of boys for 12 years to see how their moral thinking changes and develops over time. He proposed his stage theory of moral development.
• Pre - conventional
• Conventional
• Post - conventional

Question 4

Evidence to support the theory of morality

Answer 4

• Hornsey et al found that people are less likely to conform to majority if in involves an immoral act
• low levels of conformity were found when the task involved cheating, thus showing the importance of dispositional factors

Chen and Howitt found that young offenders who were in prison for crimes such as violent behaviour or theft were at a lower level of moral teachings compared to a control group

• Kohlberg (1969) found that participant in Milgram’s research who had higher level of moral reasoning were more able to resist orders of the experimenter

Question 5

Explain lvl 1

Answer 5

Pre- conventional stage
- Stage 1 = Children are focused on consequences of actions , This stage is about punishment

• Stage 2 = Actions are based on what’s beneficial to the individual and sometimes for others
  Assumption = Other person will return the favour at some point

Question 6

Explain lvl 2

Answer 6

Conventional stage - more likely to behave anti - socially as children are egocentric

• Stage 3 = Action is about pleasing and getting approval from other ppl - being seen as “good”
  Behaviour judged on intention
• Stage 4 = Behaviour is based on obeying authority and maintaining social order

Question 7

Explain lvl 3

Answer 7

Post - conventional
Stage 5 - Moral behaviour is defined by what has been agreed upon by society as a whole. Based on what’s “lawful”.

Stage 6 - Behaviour is based on more abstract ideas of justice and what’s ethical for example human rights.

Question 8

2 Suggestions that support morality

Answer 8

• Langdon et al suggests according to Kohlberg’s theory , anti - social behaviour is more common in second stage of moral development. Morality is = eco centric = focus is on what’s right for individual rather than society
• Eisenberg suggest ppl who have high lvl of moral reasoning are less likely to act in an anti social way because they hold themselves responsible