Moral Development Flashcards
Is rough and tumble play considered aggression?
No, it is not aggressive
What are key differences between rough and tumble play and aggression?
rough and tumble play:
* children smile and laugh
* children are willing participants
* children keep returning for more
* stronger/older kids let opponent “win”
* contact is gentle
* children alternate roles
* no spectators
aggression:
* children grown, stare, cry, get red
* one child dominates another
* children separate after
* no self-handicapping
* contact is hard and harsh
* no changing roles
* draws a crowd
What kinds of benefits does rough and tumble play have?
- physical development
- social development
- emotional regulation
- cognitive development
- bonding and relationships
What is hostile aggression?
aggressive acts for which the perpetrator’s main goal is to harm or injure a victim
What is instrumental aggression?
aggressive acts for which the perpetrator’s major goal is to gain access to objects, space, or privileges
What is the developmental trajectory of aggression?
in middle childhood:
↓ instrumental aggression
↑ hostile aggression
What is physical aggression?
behaviors that cause bodily harm or injury to others
What are the effects of physical aggression?
- physical injury
- emotional trauma
- social withdrawal
- immediate visible harm; more easily identifiable
What is relational aggression?
behaviors aimed at damaging social relationships (i.e. spreading rumors, social exclusion, gossiping, manipulation)
What are the effects of relational aggression?
damaging to psychological and emotional wellbeing; not as easily identifiable
____ are seen as more physically aggressive, while ____ are seen as more relationally aggressive
males; females
True or False:
Physical aggression has more damaging impacts on psychological and emotional wellbeing within individuals.
False
Relational aggression is more psychologically damaging
What is the developmental trajectory of physical aggression?
- younger children: more likely to use physical aggression as common expressions of frustration, anger, or lack of impulse control
- middle childhood: decrease in physical aggression as children increase regulatory abilities
- adolescents: resurgence of physical aggression due to puberty –> trying to establish dominance
What is the developmental trajectory of relational aggression?
- younger children: more likely to use direct forms of relational aggression (i.e. you can’t come to my party)
- older children: more likely to use more subtle methods of harm (i.e. spreading rumors)
True or False:
Aggression is a fairly stable trait and a predictor of adult aggressive behaviors
True
What is a proactive aggressor?
- finds aggressive acts easy to perform
- rely on aggression to achieve goals
What is a reactive aggressor?
- hostile because they overattribute hostile intent to others
- high impulsivty
What is the hostile attribution bias?
Aggressive child holds expectation that others are hostile
↓
Expectation results in biased scanning of social cues (confirmation bias)
↓
Infers that accidents had hostile intentions
↓
Retaliates against the other
↓
Results in hostile counter attacks and consequent rejection of child
↓
Expectation that others are hostile is confirmed
True or False:
Coercive cycles within families can be influential to hostile behavior.
True
A mom refuses to give her daughter cookies. The child whines and the mom eventually gives up fighting. The child gets the cookies she wants.
What kind of conditioning is this?
negative reinforcement
↓ fighting
↑ child’s aggression
child learns to be aggressive next time because her mom will stop fighting and give her what she wants
What is Patterson’s model for the development of chronic antisocial behavior?
Early childhood:
poor parental discipline and monitoring + coercive household
↓
Middle childhood:
conduct disorders + hostile attribution bias + lack of restraint = rejection by peers or academic failure + commitment to deviant group
↓
Early adolescence:
delinquency
What is altruism?
selfless concern for the welfare of others that is expressed through prosocial acts
True or False:
Children only exhibit altruistic actions when adults are nearby.
True
Spontaneous acts are rare
The origins of altruistic prosocial behavior are rooted in the capacity to feel ____ and ____.
empathy; sympathy
What is empathy?
an emotional reaction to another’s emotional state or condition that is similar to that person’s state or condition
What is sympathy?
the feeling of concern for another person in reaction to the other’s emotional state or condition; often an outcome of empathizing with another’s negative emotion or situation
True or False:
Empathy promotes altruism.
True
What is the developmental trajectory of altruistic prosocial behavior?
- infants: respond to others’ distress, but may not differentiate between others’ emotional reactions and their own
- age 2: children start to more clearly differentiate between another’s emotional distress and their own
- preschool to adolescence: prosocial behaviors increase
How does the caregiver influence the child’s altruism?
- forces child to see relationship between his/her acts and consequences
- role-taking ability
- prosocial moral reasoning
What was the moral dilemma question presented by Kohlberg?
- Heinz’ wife is sick and there is only one drug that the doctors thought might save her
- Druggist was charging 10x what the drug cost him to make
- Heinz could only get $2000 for a $4000 drug
- Should Heinz steal the drug?
What were the three levels of moral judgment in Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Judgment?
- preconventional
- conventional
- postconventional
What is preconventional moral judgment?
moral reasoning is self-centered, focused on getting rewards and avoiding punishment
What is conventional moral judgment?
moral reasoning is centered on social relationships
What is postconventional moral judgment?
moral reasoning is involved with ideals, focusing moral principles
How did children with preconventional morality answer the Heinz question?
“The man shouldn’t steal the drug because he may get caught and go to jail.”
Punishment is avoided and rewards are sought
How did children with conventional morality answer the Heinz question?
“He shouldn’t steal the drug because everyone will see him as a thief, and his wife wouldn’t want to be cured because of thievery.”
Cares about how situational outcomes impact others and wants to please & be accepted
True or False:
Most active members of society remain at postconventional morality.
False
Most active members of society remain at conventional morality
How did children with postconventional morality answer the Heinz question?
“The man should steal the drug to cure his wife and then tell the authorities that he has done so. He may have to pay a penalty, but at least he has saved a human life.”
Moral behavior is based on self-chosen ethical principles that are generally comprehensive and universal (i.e. justice, dignity, equality)
True or False:
People go through Kohlberg’s stages of morality in the same order and attain the same final stage.
False
They differ in regard to the final stage they attain
Levels of ____ determine one’s progressive through the stages of morality
social-cognitive development
